RA Dr. Manfred Ainedter for Causa Vienna value: charge delivered

In the Wienwert case, the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) brought an extensive indictment at the Vienna Regional Court of Criminal Matters. In addition to the former Vienna value board member Stefan Gruze, ÖVP-Wien boss Karl Mahrer, his wife Christine Mahrer and the SPÖ politician Ernst Nevrivy are charged.

New construction of the allegations by the WKSTA

Spicy: The original allegations of the WKSTA were quickly changed in the indictment. While the public prosecutor initially assumed that Christine Mahrer had concluded the contract with a large oral and an invoice “in agreement” with Karl Mahrer, it is now claimed that the Mahrer couple have actively “encouraged and determined” Gruze. When, where and how it should have happened, the WKStA remains guilty.

It is also clear that Christine Mahrer and – after her serious illness – Karl Mahrer actually performed services for Vienna value, although the WKStA now claims that service was not provided.

Explosive line -up: judge Radasztics leads the procedure

The jurisdiction of judge Michael Radasztics, who recently convicted Sebastian Kurz recently in the first instance, ensures additional tension. Radasztics himself got into the headlines after it became known that he was legally convicted of disciplinary law because he had not informed Karl-Heinz Grasser for years about a procedure that was running against him and had passed on information from the Eurofighter process to Peter Pilz.

The close personnel interweaving in the Vienna value process is also remarkable:

• Gruze lawyer Norbert Wess was temporarily defender of Radasztics himself.

• Mahrer lawyer Manfred Ainedter represented the damaged Karl-Heinz Grasser in the procedure against Radasztics.

• Nevrivy lawyer Volkert Sackmann, former prosecutor and close confidante of Peter Pilz, was a witness to criminal proceedings against Radasztics.

The fact that all of these actors now meet again in a procedure raises questions about impartiality.

Mahrer defender Ainedter remains confident

Karl Mahr’s defender Manfred Ainedter already showed in the investigation that any infidelity would have already been completed with the oral conclusion of the contract – a subsequent accounting could therefore not be punishable.

In any case, Ainedter is convinced: “The allegations against the Mahrer couple will be able to be refuted before an independent court.” Whether there is at least the appearance of bias in this cause will still have to be checked.