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Viennese criminal prosecutors accused René Benko of embezzling tens of millions of euros in the collapse of his 2023 real estate empire, including potentially through the sale of an Italian luxury estate of 46 million euros by his signature group on a private authority of the government say he is in force Controlled him.
Benko, presided over by a group that at the height, owned half of the New York Chrysler building, part of Selfidges in London and some of the largest department stores in Germany, was arrested in Austria last month after a criminal investigation into the Vienna Prosecutor, Munich and Berlin.
But the sign, which was Built on 5 billion euros in debtbegan to fall apart in At the end of 2023 When one of his central companies, sign Holding, applied for inconsistent. Benko Sam made a request for personal insolvency Last March.
Since January, Benko has been in custody in the election in Austria for allegedly aggravated fraud, embezzlement and false bankruptcy.
Criminal prosecutors in Berlin and Munich also investigate potentially inconsistent behavior and Italian agency for law enforcement issued an arrest warrant Last year due to alleged suspicious payments to local officials.
In December, a lawyer for Benko said his client was convinced that “any charges against him can be clarified as essentially incorrect.”
According to a 38 -page arrest order issued by Austrian prosecutors and saw the Financial Times, Benko was charged with deceiving business partners to inject 35 million euros into real estate, while transferring money and assets worth tens of euros of dozens of euros From the reach of creditors – including furniture worth 8 million euros, 90,000 euros Patek Philippe Watch and expensive hunting rifles.
One of the controversial transactions established by the prosecutors is the sale of the Luxury Villa Eden Gardone in Italy in 2023, initially owned by the Holding sign, and sold in August 2023. For 46 million euros of the Foundation officially controlled by Benk’s mother Ingeborg.
Instead of Gotovina, prosecutors state that the mansion was paid for the use of shares in the sign of a sign that became worthless when the subject filed insolvency three months later.
Prosecutors claim that the transaction was “artificial and economically amazing” because it replaced luxury real estate because of a very devalated share in capital at a fighting company.
They claim that the transaction was conducted by accident, and the sales documents lacked a detailed description of the assets that change their hands, usually a standard procedure for such a complex job.
Furthermore, prosecutors claim that Benko called shots in two family foundations – one with whom his mother was Ingeborg, a retired kindergarten teacher, and one of his daughter Laura – who were parties for numerous potentially suspicious transactions.
Prosecutors also caused concern for financial payment of € 2 million in 2023, Benko made a person close to him: part of a series of payment between 2018 and 2023, which was 15.5 million euros, according to, according to an arrest warrant.
They accuse Benko of hiding his ownership of furniture worth 8 million euros in Innsbruck Castle and have taken into account the payment of 360,000 euros in October 2023. In a legal entity that owned the property he used in Innsbruck, characterizing this as ahead of payment rent for lease for the next four years. Prosecutors claim that this payment lacked any “objective justification”.
At the same time when Benko orchestrated the alleged removal of property in 2023, he allegedly also misleading investors about his financial health.
In mid -2023, when his own investment vehicle dropped to several thousand euros in cash in his bank account and according to an investigation that was in fact inconsistent with, Benko promised to personally contribute 35 million euros to increase capital for 350 million euros for capital in amount of 350 million, arrest warrant.
Prosecutors claim that in his empire, in his empire, he directed the investments of two business partners to mask the origin of the funds and then mistakenly introduce money as his own contribution.
Benko lawyer did not respond to the comment request. Viennese prosecutors refused to comment.
