How Benko conducted:
“Please send coal, René has given the go-ahead”
A report by "Soko Signa" sheds light on the power structure in Benko's corporate empire. The investigators come to a clear conclusion: no important decision was made without René Benko.
In front of the officials, René Benko now presents himself as a mere consultant. According to his account, decisions in the Signa Group were made solely by managing directors and board members. The investigators consider Benko's story to be a fairy tale to protect him from the public prosecutor. A 120-page report, based on hundreds of emails, chats and internal documents, paints a clear and unambiguous picture for the criminologists: Benko was the boss at Signa, who intervened deeply in the operational business even without an official function - and set the decisive course until the very end.
Numerous details in the document, which was made available to "Krone" and "News", speak volumes. On March 7, 2022, a Signa employee wrote to a colleague: "Hello Arthur, can you please send the money, René has released it." Significant for the investigators: Benko's word was enough.
"Cool loan"
There was no way around him, especially when it came to financing. In an email to Bank Julius Bär 2021, Benko writes: Laura Privatstiftung "successfully sold 5% of the shares in SIGNA Development to Peugeot Holding yesterday and now wants to increase asset management at JB by a further 65m as promised." He then meticulously lists the collateral, maturities and quotas - and adds: "A bank couldn't wish for a cooler loan."
Ultimately, one circumstance in particular could prove to be Benko's undoing: According to the results of the investigation, approvals for important decisions were apparently also passed directly through his desk. In February 2021, a manager asked the Signa founder directly rather than the Management Board: "@Rene Benko: are you also aware of this and can it be done this way?" Similarly in February 2023: "A definitive 'construction budget' will only (...) be released by René," wrote Signa Holding Managing Director Christoph Stadlhuber at the time about a project with a volume of 2.5 million euros.
"I'll check in a minute"
The investigators' report reads like a log of Benko approvals. Benko even signed contracts personally. In March 2023, for example, he wrote to the German show jumping rider and horse dealer Ludger Beerbaum: "I hereby confirm on your behalf that the purchase contract has been concluded as of today's date and is legally binding." A little later, Beerbaum asks: "Hello René, do you think the first installment for (the horse, note) Just be Gentle can be transferred in the short term? I'll be in a bit of a pickle if it takes any longer." Benko himself responds to this deal with a foundation: "I'll check right away - when was the agreed payment date?"
For the investigators, this is an indication of their thesis: Benko was not just an advisor, but the pacemaker who drove business forward, fixed contracts and even monitored payments from a foundation with which he would also prefer to have nothing more to do.
"It's my turn with my foundation"
Messages between Benko and his fatherly friend Hans Peter Haselsteiner are particularly striking. On December 27, 2022, the Strabag founder asked him to sponsor the festival in Erl, Tyrol: "Hello from Erl! Can they still count on your promised support?"
Benko replies: "Yes, I'm working with my foundation and bank for tomorrow (...) Greetings from Lech to Erl, best regards RB."
A few days later, on 3 January 2023, Haselsteiner got in touch again: "Dear Rene! The people of Erl have a big problem with the bank because the 1.420 million is missing! Can you find out where they got stuck and when they will be reliably transferred? Lg hph." Benko responds promptly: "I'll do it right away, best regards."
One day later, Benko finally sends Haselsteiner a message of completion: "Good morning! 1.42m will be instructed today (...) Best regards, Rene."
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