Showdown in Innsbruck
Trial against Benko: these are the eight witnesses
Eight witnesses will be called in the trial against billionaire bankrupt René Benko. The "Krone" knows who is coming - and who could incriminate the Signa founder in particular.
René Benko will stand trial in Innsbruck from Tuesday at 9 am. The trial is scheduled to last two days. While on the first day of the relatively unspectacular Krida trial only the pleadings of the prosecution and defense as well as the questioning of Benko are planned, on the second day of the trial, Wednesday, eight witnesses are on the list.
The witnesses in the Benko trial
First and foremost the long-standing Signa CFO Manuel P. (42). He could reveal some details about Benko's business dealings, especially as he was also a board member of the Laura Private Foundation, which is considered to be the fallen real estate juggler's money bunker. P. himself had to file for insolvency in March 2025, and he has recently gradually stepped down from his role as managing director of the Benkos' Laura Foundation.
Benko's mother Ingeborg (75) and his sister (43) have also been summoned. Both are said to play a not insignificant role in the record bankrupt's financial structure. Benko's mother, a retired kindergarten teacher, is involved in the foundations and has repeatedly made headlines as the alleged "straw mother". For example, blank signatures of the mother were found on the sister's laptop. In addition, several gifts of millions from the mother to her son have been documented. René Benko is not an official beneficiary of the foundation.
The sister is said to have been available to René Benko as a kind of personal assistant in the months following the Signa bankruptcy. In a WhatsApp message dated 22 November 2023, Benko's sister, who is also said to have been their mother's authorized representative at the time, literally asks: "€ 3 million has been received as a 'distribution' on mom's account. How much do you want to send? And for what purpose? A gift?"
€ 3 million have been credited to my mother's account as a 'distribution'. How much do you want to send? And for what purpose? A gift?
WhatsApp-Nachricht von Benkos Schwester an René Benko, 22. November 2023
The sister is also already in the focus of the authorities. It is expected that mother and sister will exercise their right to refuse to testify.
The chief controller of several companies in the Signa Group, Arthur A., is also considered an important witness when it comes to looking behind the scenes of Benko's empire. A. was also managing director of some Signa companies in the meantime. He willingly revealed his extensive knowledge to the investigators.
The Innsbruck lawyer Andreas Grabenweger has been entrusted with handling the bankruptcy proceedings surrounding René Benko as an entrepreneur. He repeatedly tried to crack Benko's foundation structure. Grabenweger gained notoriety in the fall of 2024 when he was astonished to discover that bankrupt Benko was still sailing across Lake Garda in the motorboat he had secured for the creditors.
Signa Holding boss Marcus Mühlberger was regarded as the right-hand man of the imprisoned financial juggler. In a seized text message, Mühlberger (63) described himself as a "signatory's aide", which may well be an apt description of his role in Benko's alleged money transfers. Mühlberger worked for Benko in the Signa holding company for around 20 years. The Innsbruck native also had deep insights into the foundation's conduct. And. He wrote emails in connection with the villa rental that is the focus of the indictment.
Two other employees in Benko's company empire, who are said to have been familiar with the money transfers, have also been summoned as witnesses. Patricia M. and Sandra K. acted as bookkeepers.
The founder of Signa has to answer for his actions in a two-day trial at the Innsbruck Regional Court on suspicion of fraudulent crida. In terms of the scope of the charges, this is the first small prelude to a larger series of trials that Benko is likely to face.
156 Signa companies already insolvent
The sheer scale of the Signa bankruptcy is reflected in the hard economic figures alone. Since the collapse of the former real estate group at the end of 2023, insolvency proceedings have been opened over the assets of a total of 156 companies, 138 in Vienna and 18 in Innsbruck, the AKV announced on Friday. This year alone, 99 of the more than one thousand Signa companies filed for insolvency.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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