The Austrian investor and ex-billionaire René Benko is expected to face further proceedings in court. The Economic and Corruption Public Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) brought charges in the Signa complex at the Innsbruck Regional Court for serious fraud and damage to creditors’ interests. The indictment is not yet final.
The public prosecutor’s office accuses Benko of having damaged a private foundation by five million euros in connection with a guarantee letter to an investor. In addition, the 49-year-old, who has been in custody for 18 months, is said to have hidden his possession of a hunting rifle worth 80,000 euros when he went bankrupt as a sole proprietor. This meant that the interests of creditors were damaged.
Benko has denied all allegations in his previous proceedings.
Two convictions so far
The former billionaire has already been convicted in two similar trials. However, the judgments are not yet legally binding. In October 2025 he received a two-year prison sentence. In December last year he was again convicted of harming his creditors. This resulted in a suspended sentence of 15 months and a fine.
In the extensive Signa complex, Austria’s economic and corruption prosecutor’s office (WKStA) suspects the once very respected businessman of fraud, breach of trust and bankruptcy. More charges could follow.
Benko had built up a billion-dollar fortune over around 20 years with his complex real estate and trading empire Signa. Rising interest rates and construction costs, as well as risky acquisitions such as those of the German department store groups Karstadt and Kaufhof, drove Signa into bankruptcy.