Is on a mountain tour

Kickl cancels: political ping-pong in the U-committee

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/Georg Hochmuth, Martin Jöchl)

Tuesday and Wednesday are the last two days of questioning in the investigative committee on red-blue abuse of power. As the "Krone" has learned, there are now prominent cancellations in the run-up, including from FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl, but also prominent summonses. The outlook for the grand finale in the highly controversial U Committee.

As is well known, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl made his grand appearance in the beer tent on May 1. The second major appearance in the U Committee on red-blue abuse of power should have followed on May 7. He should have been questioned for four hours about possible connections between his party and Russia and about his contracts in connection with the Ideenschmiede case.

He should have been, because as the "Krone" found out, the FPÖ leader canceled his appearance on Thursday afternoon due to a "mountain tour that has been planned and booked for around two months and cannot be canceled or postponed". A blue bang effect, but by no means the only political farce surrounding the last scheduled U Committee questioning week.

Herbert Kickl was due to appear again in the U-Committee on Tuesday, but the sporty party leader will not appear in the committee room again.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/Georg Hochmuth, Martin Jöchl)

Key figure Sila accepts
Thomas Sila, who concluded the much-cited trust agreements with Kickl, officially agreed to appear on Thursday, according to the ÖVP, which summoned him. "Thomas Sila is the key figure for us in the Ideenschmiede case. We will see whether we also have to call Herbert Kickl a 'coward of the nation' after traitor to the people and emperor of salaries", explained ÖVP parliamentary group leader Andreas Hanger, even before Kickl's refusal became official.

The question of who now owns the Ideenschmieden property in Carinthia should also be clarified at the latest during Sila's questioning.

Gudenus is on vacation
Another refusal has already been made. Former blue party leader Johann Gudenus, who, as the "Krone" revealed, was summoned to replace Egisto Ott from the Neos for Wednesday, is on vacation at the time according to the Pinks and will therefore not appear in parliament. As a replacement for the substitute, the Pinken now want to summon the intermediary of Gudenus and the spy Jan Marsalek to the committee on Wednesday and question him there.

FPÖ asked Bures and invites Martin Ho
The Freedom Party, for its part, also knows how to come up with explosive summonses. Recently, for example, the blue party asked the Second President of the National Council, Doris Bures (SPÖ), who, according to information from the "Krone", would also have come. In the end, however, someone completely different was summoned - the well-known Viennese restaurateur Martin Ho. As is well known, he was accused of fraud with corona aid. He always denied this. In December, however, the public prosecutor closed the investigation. However, the Freedom Party now apparently wants to take a closer look at the case, which was actually already legally closed.

SPÖ summons Strache's bodyguard
And the Social Democrats? They also have an ace up their sleeve - the former bodyguard of former FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache. It is well known that his revelations and insider information in the blue expenses affair also led to the case of Kickl's predecessor. He was originally on the ÖVP's charge list. Now the Social Democrats have "taken him on" - and are apparently hoping for similar results as with Strache. "We are inviting him to give evidence because he has extensive knowledge of the events within the FPÖ", according to the SPÖ.