Thomas Chmid, a former associate of former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, has refused Thursday to testify before the commission investigating a corruption case against the Austrian People’s Party (OVP).
The former head of the Osterreichische Beteiligungs AG (OBAG), an Austrian state holding company, has indicated that he will not answer questions to avoid incriminating himself and has assured that he is at the moment gathering information to present to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The commission, which was set up a year ago to investigate the case, is analyzing information submitted by former members of the OVP-led government, including Kurz himself, who was chancellor between 2017 and 2021.
Schmid’s refusal to testify means the commission will not be able to finalize the proceedings in early December as planned. Jan Krainer, a deputy for the Social Democrats, has warned that Schmid could be forced to testify before a judge.
Kurz’s former partner has said he has handed over evidence to prosecutors about the case, which points to the government using public funds to pay for falsified polls on voting intentions. He has also pointed out that some politicians of the formation took positions illegally and intervened in tax matters.
