Curious prison test

Benko: “Still functions like in imperial times”

Pre-trial detainee Benko: in Innsbruck since October(Bild: AFP/KERSTIN JOENSSON)

The plight of prisoner René Benko: the failed real estate speculator and record bankrupt complained to the judge during his tenth prison examination that his iPad was not up to date with the investigation file. The "Krone" knows the details.

René Benko has been in custody since January 24. First in Vienna, since October in Innsbruck. So the 10th detention hearing on November 10 had to be held via video conference. The judge, the senior public prosecutor from the Economic and Corruption Prosecution Office (WKStA) and a Benko lawyer took part in the semi-lockdown of the Vienna prison; Benko and another of his defense lawyers were connected from Innsbruck. According to the minutes, which are available to the "Krone", the Tyrolean once again criticized the judiciary, especially the WKStA.

"Can get a visit"
 In response to the judge's initial question about his well-being, Benko explained: "After almost ten months, no better." But: "Yes, I can have visits from my family." But the country's best-known bankrupt immediately turns to his iPad with the investigation file, which had been made available to him in Vienna - and was up to date as of September 19.

Benko: "Ms. Rat, I was informed on Friday by Mr. H. from the Innsbruck prison, and it still works like it did in the days of the emperor. The original iPad would now have to be sent to Vienna, then it will be updated by the Vienna-Josefstadt prison and would then be sent back to Innsbruck by post or by transport a week later (...) Sending it back and forth alone takes a week, so to speak."

U-prisoner Benko: in Innsbruck since October(Bild: AFP/KERSTIN JOENSSON)

50,000-page act
Benko apparently wants to reiterate that he can only "prove himself free" in freedom. His repeated justification as to why he should be released from pre-trial detention: only if he were free would he be able to study the 50,000-page file with his lawyers around the clock. In addition, the alleged million-dollar fraudster is apparently of the opinion that the investigations against him and his co-defendants are going nowhere anyway.

In fact, the investigations have come to a standstill.

Benko beklagt sich bei der Haftrichterin

Benko then explained to the judge verbatim: "De facto, the investigations have come to a standstill. A very good example is, if you look at the WKStA's application for continuation from July, they informed us that two final reports were available in connection with the weapons sub-fact, which would be brought to a conclusion in the near future. That was 3.5 months ago, but there is still no final resolution, even though there have been no further investigative activities in connection with the weapons. There are so many issues. What I simply want to say is that the almost ten months in pre-trial detention as an innocent person, moreover, where I find it more difficult to defend myself from month to month, because the scope of the case is getting deeper and deeper and more and more enormous. It is unmanageable and in this respect the issue of proportionality and the fact that there is definitely no equality of arms - I still have no access to historical emails. I have no way of proving myself freely with historical documents."

The judge's counterattack is aimed at the numerous allegations against Benko, which have to be investigated by the criminal investigators in more and more lines of inquiry: This was "due to this investigation. In this respect, the WKStA only has limited resources". It only has to assess "whether there is an urgent suspicion or not."

Things get emotional again towards the end. Benko turns directly to the judge again: she can, however, assess the proportionality, "as far as the almost ten months of pre-trial detention are concerned, and also the fact that I definitely cannot defend myself with the increasingly limited means in the sense of equality of arms and my defense options are massively restricted. And I think you can judge that after we've seen each other a few times."

"You can come back to Vienna ..."
 The senior prosecutor of the WKStA then said to Benko: "You already know that you can come back to Vienna if it turns out that you are doing so badly in Innsbruck."

Finally, the trial is ended by the magistrate after exactly one hour. With a result that will not have pleased the prisoner René Benko much: At 11 a.m., the court announces the decision to continue the pre-trial detention due to the risk of committing the crime. Until January 12, 2026 at the latest.