Siegfried Wolf and Hans-Jörg Schelling face corruption trial in Austria

The trial of former Austrian Finance Minister Hans-Jörg Schelling, industrialist Siegfried Wolf, and a retired tax official has commenced at the Wiener Neustadt Regional Court. The prosecution alleges a corrupt agreement involving tax concessions.

According to the indictment, in the summer of 2018, Wolf allegedly promised to use his influence within the Ministry of Finance to secure a promotion for a tax official to the position of head of the Baden-Mödling tax office. In exchange, Wolf reportedly sought a tax remission totaling 630,000 euros regarding income tax arrears and interest from the years 2006 to 2011.

Wolf faces charges of bribery and attempted abuse of office, while the former tax official is charged with abuse of office and bribery for issuing the tax assessment without following proper ministerial procedures. Schelling is accused of attempted abuse of office for allegedly contacting ministry officials to support Wolf’s interests. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty. Wolf’s defense maintains that his actions were a legitimate attempt to address perceived tax disadvantages, while Schelling’s legal team denies his involvement in any corrupt arrangements.