After "Krone" report

Liechtenstein opens criminal proceedings against Benko

Just one day after the "Krone" revelations about René Benko's second discreet foundation, the Principality of Liechtenstein confirms investigations into the financial juggler.(Bild: AFP, APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER, Krone KREATIV)

A bang in the secretive financial center of Liechtenstein, just one day after the "Krone" revelations about René Benko's second discreet foundation called Arual: the public prosecutor's office in the Principality confirmed to "Inside Paradeplatz" that criminal proceedings have been opened against the Austrian financial juggler.

Frank Haun, the leading public prosecutor, told the usually well-informed Swiss financial media outlet: "At the request of the public prosecutor's office, preliminary investigations are being conducted at the Princely District Court against a natural person and against unknown perpetrators on suspicion of the crimes of fraudulent crida and money laundering." These are "independent domestic proceedings", Haun told "Inside Paradeplatz".

Just one day after the "Krone" revelations about René Benko's second discrete foundation, the Principality of Liechtenstein confirmed investigations into the financial juggler.(Bild: AFP, APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER, Krone KREATIV)

Liechtenstein is "currently not part of the coordinated investigation group", said Haun: "The presumption of innocence applies." It also states: "At the current stage of the proceedings, no information is being provided on the specific status of the investigation, nor on legal entities."

(Bild: Krone KREATIV, Foto: Karl Schöndorfer)

Asset transfers
Over the past two weeks, the "Krone" has reported extensively on the two Benko foundations in the Principality: Shortly before the collapse of the Signa conglomerate, the Ingbe Foundation had acquired several Lake Garda villas in a barter deal, which had previously been owned by the financially ailing Signa Holding.

The Arual Foundation in turn owns the Villa Ansaldi in Sirmione (Italy) via intermediate companies and was apparently intended to serve as a "protective wall" for Benko in the event that his Innsbruck-based Laura Foundation ran into major turbulence.

René Benko and possible henchmen are, of course, presumed innocent.