Espionage Trial: Egisto Ott Must Appear in Court in January

The espionage trial against the former constitutional protector Egisto Ott begins on January 22 of the coming year. This was reported by the news magazine "profil" on Thursday. The former chief inspector of the now-dissolved Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (BVT) is accused by the Vienna public prosecutor of secret intelligence activities to the detriment of the Republic of Austria and abuse of office.

License Plates and Locations Collected and Passed to Russia

The public prosecutor accuses Ott of having acted as a high-ranking constitutional protector for the Russian intelligence service by collecting personal data from police databases for the purpose of transmission to former Wirecard board member Jan Marsalek and representatives of the Russian intelligence service. Ott is said to have collected data such as locations, vehicle license plates, and travel movements of individuals in their interest without official orders.

Trial Start on January 22

The upcoming main hearing at the Vienna Regional Criminal Court is expected to last several weeks. The file comprises 2,000 reference numbers. In addition to abuse of authority and secret intelligence service to the detriment of the Republic of Austria, Ott is accused of bribery, bribery as an instigator, and violation of official secrecy. The regional court confirmed the trial date to the APA.

Up to Five Years Imprisonment for Ott

According to the current schedule, ten dates are set for the main hearing. The last scheduled hearing date is March 5. The penalty for Ott and a co-accused police officer for abuse of office ranges from six months to five years imprisonment. The main hearing falls under the jurisdiction of the regional court as a jury court due to the indictment for the crime of secret intelligence service to the detriment of the Republic of Austria.

(APA/Red)

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