2023-11-22 09:09:14
A few weeks following the death of Christian Pilnacek, a secret tape recording emerged on Tuesday in which the recently suspended justice section head made allegations once morest the ÖVP and specifically once morest National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka. The ÖVP expresses the suspicion that the FPÖ is behind it and names ex-Haider secretary Stefan Petzner.
ÖVP General Secretary Christian Stocker referred to Petzner’s television appearance on November 6, 2022, in which the former Haider confidant said: “There is still a lot to come for Mr. Sobotka, he just doesn’t know it yet.” Stocker now asks what Petzner knew at the time and what role the FPÖ played in making Pilnacek’s illegal tape recording. Petzner still has good contacts with the Freedom Party. Stocker also called on the judiciary to examine the events surrounding the recording for criminal relevance. Illegal methods and spying like those in the KGB must not become part of the political debate in Austria, otherwise democracy and the rule of law would falter.
The ÖVP general secretary is locating a concerted action once morest his party. Several allegations and pamphlets once morest the ÖVP have subsequently turned out to be fakes. Stocker did not want to say anything regarding the allegations that the late Pilnacek made once morest the ÖVP in the video: Pilnacek testified truthfully in two investigative committees that the ÖVP did not intervene with him. This can be read on 133 pages of the transcript of Pilnacek’s statements. That has to count more than an illegally recorded video.
Pilnacek mentioned Sobotka by name
In the recorded conversation, Pilnacek claims to have fended off interventions by the ÖVP in investigations. The ÖVP locates “KGB methods”. The Greens are expecting a committee of inquiry.
The conversation is said to have been recorded at the end of July during an evening gathering in the pub without Christian Pilnacek’s knowledge. The audio recording, which is available from several media outlets, may have been edited. In addition, excerpts from the recording circulated as a copy. “They demand that I stop investigations. I can’t do that, I won’t do that,” Pilnacek is quoted as saying. “The ÖVP ministers came, even when a house search had already taken place at the ÖVP, they came to me and asked, why don’t I turn it off?” He always said, “I can’t do it, I won’t do it, I don’t want to.”
When he asked for support, the response he heard from the ÖVP was, “You were never with us” and “you never prevented a house search from taking place.” He didn’t influence a single procedure, says Pilnacek. “The ÖVP made this a personal accusation once morest me and said, ‘You are letting your prosecutors work once morest us’.” Christian Pilnacek mentions National Council President Sobotka by name: “In every conversation, Sobotka says, ‘You failed yourself, you never turned it around’. But that’s not possible and I won’t do it. We live in a constitutional state.”
Sobotka never spoke to Pilnacek regarding ongoing proceedings, investigations or freezing orders, a spokesman for the National Council President told the “Standard” (online). “If a person who recently died under tragic circumstances is now to be dragged into the public eye to make political change, then we will not take part in such a disrespectful act,” they further emphasized. The “ruthless instrumentalization of a person who can no longer explain himself today is an absolute low point in the political culture in our country.”
Nehammer took a stand
On Wednesday following the Council of Ministers, ÖVP Chancellor Karl Nehammer commented on the inclusion.
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