Next celebrity in custody

Gold taken from custody account? Investor arrested

The case of the arrested investor Florian Fritsch is said to involve gold bars from a Viennese depot.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/AP, Mag. Sebastian Reich / VGN Medien Holding / picturedesk.com)

Real estate juggler René Benko could soon have some prominent company in custody. As the "Krone" has learned, investor Florian Fritsch has been arrested in Germany on the orders of the Austrian authorities. According to reports, the case involves gold from a Viennese depot.

A bang in a case that the "Krone" already reported on a year ago: Florian Fritsch, a busy investor based in Vienna, was arrested in Germany, apparently at the instigation of the Austrian authorities. He is to be extradited to Austria.

200 gold bars confiscated
The entrepreneur, who has excellent connections in this country, has been the target of the judiciary for many months - and not just in Austria. According to reports, the investment entrepreneur is accused of, among other things, wedging investors for start-ups, but using the money to "plug holes" inappropriately - the presumption of innocence applies. A gold depot in Vienna was also searched in the case.

According to the files, the contents of two safes were seized - and of those deposits that were named in the name of the suspect and his wife, who also worked in Vienna - administrative assistance from the WKStA for the Liechtenstein authorities. 200 gold bars were seized at the time. Later, items from his luxury apartment in Vienna were auctioned off in court; even belts and watches went under the hammer.

Serious new allegations
An indictment for serious commercial fraud is also pending against Fritsch in the Vienna regional court, but this is not yet legally effective.  

However, the arrest is now likely to be based on new, serious allegations. According to reports, he was reported in December for allegedly removing gold belonging to a third party from the depot in Vienna. This allegedly involved bars worth millions. The presumption of innocence also applies here.