The investigation against the former real estate Coon René Benko is becoming increasingly extensive.
Austria’s economic and corruption prosecutor (WKStA) informed about several new suspected cases against the founder of the insolvent real estate and trading group Signa. It is about alleged infidelity and favoring of a creditor.
The public prosecutor said that the first investigative lines have already been completed in other suspected cases. A report was sent to the Chief Prosecutor and the Ministry of Justice for the examination, it was said without more details. In such reports, an indictment or procedural setting can be proposed. The latter is considered rather unlikely in the case of Benko.
Benko’s lawyer did not answer a request from the German Press Agency for the time being. The lawyer had rejected previous allegations against the 48-year-old Austrian entrepreneur.
An overview of the new investigative lines:
Alleged million payment to the family foundation
Insolvent Signa Prime Selection AG, the real estate flagship of the Signa Group, is said to have paid 15 million euros in debt to a family foundation in the Benko area. WKStA suspects Benko and other people to have favored the foundation, while other creditors were disadvantaged.
Luxury chalet
A company controlled by Benko is said to have rented a luxury estate in the Austrian Alps to Benko and the Signa Group. This has been damaged by this company, says the public prosecutor. She is investigating Benko because of alleged infidelity.
House for Signa consultants
The WKStA also investigates a loan of 17 million euros, with which Signa Holding GmbH is said to have financed the private house of a Signa consultant. In this case, Benko is also suspected of unfaithful.
Suspected buyer fraud
In the fourth new investigation, the focus is on a Signa employee. He is said to have tempted housing buyers into excessive payments, it said from the public prosecutor.
Previous investigations
Benko is in custody in Vienna. So far, eight investigative lines around him and Signa had been known. This includes allegations of an alleged ‘money carousel’ with which Benko is said to have spent investor money as its own capital grants; presumed fraud in connection with Corona grants; as well as alleged investment fraud around a real estate project in Munich.