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Benko: his sister is also under investigation

Benko is a fan of fine firearms - was an invoice falsified?

(Bild: Krone KREATIV, AFP, zVg)

The suspicions of the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) are serious: the financial juggler René Benko, who is in custody, is alleged to have hidden millions in assets from creditors and his liquidator, as has been reported several times. Now the corruption investigators are also targeting the Signa founder's sister. 

This emerges from the 38-page "arrest order", which is available in full to "Krone" and "News". The document reads as follows: There is a strong suspicion that René Benko had "on September 23, 2024, a false piece of evidence, namely a substantively incorrect invoice for the alleged sale of three (...) concealed firearms from him to Forstgut Steiermark GmbH & Co KG, dated October 18, 2023" submitted in his insolvency proceedings. Through one of his legal representatives.

As is well known, René Benko has also been insolvent as an entrepreneur since March 9, 2024, but the Benkos' Laura Private Foundation operates the Stüblergut am Gaberl in Styria, which was acquired for 30 million euros, including the associated hunting grounds.

Benko's sister, in turn, is said to have been involved in this "alleged sale of firearms". "At a time yet to be determined in the period from June 25, 2024 to September 23, 2024", as the investigators state: Benko's close confidante is said to have "contributed to the alleged criminal offense committed by René Benko", "by preparing the invoice with incorrect content on the instructions of the named person and thus enabling it to be submitted to the public prosecutor's office", they state.

René Benko and his sister are presumed innocent.

"Ongoing new suspicions"
 Investigators from Soko Signa are now following the money trail with great intensity. According to the arrest warrant, "new suspicious circumstances are constantly arising". From the investigators' point of view, the payments worth millions made by the prominent U-prisoner to his wife are, as reported, particularly striking: the 47-year-old Tyrolean is said to have made "several payments totaling 15,500,000 euros" to his better half between 2018 and 2023 "in addition to her monthly basic maintenance of 10,500 euros". The document states:

"Most striking is a payment dated January 27, 2023 in the amount of EUR 2,000,000 from Rene Benko to Nathalie Benko with the intended use "Equity for real estate investment", as a transfer was made on the same day - but before the transfer to Nathalie Benko - to enable the payment on the basis of an unsecured loan from the Laura Private Foundation in the amount of EUR 2,500,000 to the account of René Benko."

In the list of assets of the billionaire bankrupt, however, the legal reason for this transfer was "simply 'maintenance payment'". The presumption of innocence also applies without exception to René Benko and possible accomplices in these investigations.