Public prosecutor investigates

Suspicion of espionage: Egisto Ott arrested

Former constitutional protection agent Egisto Ott was arrested on Friday on suspicion of espionage. This was confirmed by the spokesperson of the Vienna public prosecutor's office. Ott is alleged to have procured information for Russia to the detriment of Austria.

The "Falter" newspaper first reported on this. Ott is being investigated by the Vienna prosecution authority for abuse of office and secret intelligence to the detriment of Austria, Bussek told APA.

Report: Ott's son-in-law also arrested
According to the spokeswoman, a second person was also arrested. Bussek did not want to give any details about their identity. According to "Falter", this is said to be Ott's son-in-law.

Ott was an employee of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (BVT), which has since been dissolved. Most recently, he made the headlines in connection with the fugitive ex-Wirecard board member Jan Marsalek, whom he is said to have assisted in setting up a spy cell for Russia within the BVT.

Alleged to have spied for Russia
Ott - together with a second ex-BVT employee - is said to have procured information for Marsalek and Russia, drawing on his previous activities as a constitutional protector and police attaché in Italy. According to the German news magazine "Spiegel", the information concerned journalists living in Europe and a Kazakh opposition politician.

Ott denied the allegations against him to "Spiegel". Nevertheless, the Vienna public prosecutor's office now has sufficient evidence to issue an arrest warrant. The former BVT employee will be questioned, as confirmed by authority spokeswoman Bussek. It remains to be seen whether an application will be made to have him remanded in custody. The public prosecutor has 48 hours - i.e. until Easter Sunday - to do so.

Suspected spies in the former BVT, who are said to have leaked information in exchange for money, have been under investigation for years - the "Krone" reported.