Payments in the millions

COFAG-U committee: Benko wants to testify in April

The COFAG-U committee, which is scrutinizing support payments during the coronavirus pandemic, will start in March. The money that the companies received from René Benko is of central interest. Contrary to expectations, the media-shy real estate juggler will now apparently be available to the MPs himself to provide information.

According to "Oberösterreichische Nachrichten" and "Standard", the founder of Signa-Holding is said to have promised the committee leadership that he will answer the committee's questions on April 4. He was originally due to provide information at the beginning of March. The opposition suspects that Benko and entrepreneur Siegfried Wolf benefited disproportionately from state aid.

Alleged preferential treatment by the ÖVP a topic
In the U-committee, which is specifically intended to focus on "two-tier administration due to preferential treatment of billionaires by ÖVP government members", the MPs will probably question Benko about the role the government played in Signa's purchase of the Leiner building in Vienna's Mariahilfer Straße. The 1.1 million euros in coronavirus aid for Benko's Chalet N is also likely to become an issue.

The fact that Benko wants to testify comes as something of a surprise, as the investor has avoided public appearances as well as media inquiries since the collapse of his Signa empire.