René Benko to face fraud and bankruptcy trial in November

René Benko, the founder of Signa currently in custody, is scheduled to appear before the Innsbruck Regional Court on November 4 and 5. He faces charges of serious fraud and fraudulent bankruptcy (Krida).

The Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) alleges that Benko provided a “wahrheitswidrige Garantie” (untruthful guarantee) to Hans Peter Haselsteiner or representatives of his family foundation. This allegedly led the foundation to transfer approximately 3.3 million euros to Signa Holding GmbH and waive claims to an additional 1.7 million euros. The prosecution claims Benko falsely promised a total payment of around 5 million euros by June 30, 2024, which was never fulfilled, resulting in the enrichment of Signa Holding.

Additionally, Benko is accused of fraudulent bankruptcy for allegedly concealing a hunting rifle valued at 80,000 euros to prevent the satisfaction of creditor claims during the Signa insolvency proceedings. If convicted, Benko faces a potential prison sentence of up to ten years. His legal counsel, Norbert Wess, has rejected the allegations, stating they are not legally comprehensible.