Hunting with friends

Benko’s tally: Child (9) allegedly shot deer

Master hunter Benko was still lying in wait in 2024.(Bild: zVg)

Chance discoveries by the Soko Signa special investigation unit: Three weeks after her husband's arrest, René Benko's wife was informed about possible activities by the financial juggler in a large Tyrolean hunting ground. The sinister suspicion is: Did a nine-year-old child shoot a deer?

René Benko not only bought a bunch of gold-trimmed shotguns and rifles, but also went hunting with them for many years. With politicians. With bankers. With big shots from the business world. Even Signa's bankruptcy at the end of 2023 didn't stop the country's most famous bankrupt from pursuing his passion for hunting in the past. Even though he increasingly had to do without good company.

Stalking and wellness
In the course of 2024, Benko liked to retreat to the hunting lodge of a Tyrolean friend to recharge his batteries after the series of billion-dollar bankruptcies. A wellness temple with Michelin-starred cuisine, an exquisite wine selection, and a 3,500-hectare hunting lease that stretches from the Stubai to the Gschnitztal valleys. There, the host not only offers marmots, but also plenty of red deer. According to Tyrolean hunting law, areas larger than 3,000 hectares require at least one professional hunter.

A nine-year-old child was present on one of these hunting trips. That in itself would not be a problem, were it not for the nasty suspicion that the minor may have killed a deer. This is evident from chance findings during the investigations by the Soko Signa special investigation unit, which are available to the "Krone" and "News" newspapers. According to these findings, Benko's wife Nathalie gained a more detailed picture of her husband René's potential misconduct in the local hunting area during conversations at the Jagdhof in mid-February 2025, three weeks after her husband's arrest.

Hunting master Benko was still lying in wait in 2024.(Bild: zVg)

"There sits the hunter"
The hotel manager, also a passionate hunter, apparently shared some inside information. She recounted how much she was annoyed by the men's hunting activities. When she wanted to congratulate René Benko on shooting a deer, he allegedly pointed to a nine-year-old child who was present and said, "No, no, the hunter is crouching there."

The indignant hotel manager's reaction to Benko: "Tell me that's not true..." But then her husband intervened and more or less silenced her: "Pull yourself together, you stupid cow..."

"Then the hat will burn..."
In February, hotel manager Nathalie Benko and her friends not only told the Sonnenstube that she even had a photo of the child with the hunted game. She also expressed legal concerns in conversation with the group of women: "If they find out, then the hat will burn. Then we won't be able to hunt anymore. Then my husband will have nothing left."

According to Tyrolean hunting law, hunting permits may only be issued to persons with a valid Tyrolean hunting license. To obtain this, one must pass a hunting exam, which can usually only be taken upon reaching the age of majority. Allowing children to shoot also violates the Weapons Act. Furthermore, it could constitute animal cruelty, which is punishable by up to two years in prison.

The owner of the hunting lodge has a lawyer say that neither he nor the gamekeeper of the hunting area would violate the hunting or weapons law. It can be ruled out that the incident took place in their hunting ground. Benko also denies any violation of the law.