• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at
• austrianindependent.com

Today

• Vienna - Pub Quiz at Charlie Ps
• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna- January and February at the Austrian Film Museum
• Vienna - Art by Petronilla Hohenwarter.
• STOMP at the MuseumsQuartier

22. 07. 09. - 15:00

• more General News news
• RSS Feed General News

22. 07. 09. - 15:00

SPÖ MP admits contact with Kazakh secret-service member

By David Rogers

Social Democrat (SPÖ) MP Anton Gaal has admitted to arranging a meeting between an Austrian detective and a member of the Kazakh secret service as a special government commission is to investigate claims Austrian politicians and journalists have been in the pay of the Kazakh secret service.

Gaal, a former SPÖ military spokesman and current chairman of parliament’s military-complaint commission, said on ORF TV yesterday (Tues) evening he had arranged a meeting between the detective, a former Austrian military official, and Kazakh Ildar A. at a Vienna tavern.

Gaal said he had not been "directly present" at their meeting and had instead been talking to a waiter at the time. He also denied he had ever been in contact with the Kazakh embassy in Vienna or the Kazakh secret service. He also denied a report in service and dismissed a report that he had talked with Ildar A. 95 times by phone as "complete nonsense."
He said though that Ildar A. had called him two or three times over a period of one week to discuss the possible purchase of a house and then called him again some time later. The Kazakh had also discussed his family’s security with him in his capacity as president of the civil-defence association, Gaal said, and after that he arranged the meeting with his "old friend" the detective.

Gaal also admitted that Ildar A. had raised the issue of Kazakhstan and former Kazakh Ambassador to Austria Rakhat Aliyev, who has been granted political asylum by the Austrian government. When the office for protection of the constitution and the fight against terrorism informed him that Ildar A. was under observation, Gaal added, he broke off contact with him.

The SPÖ military spokesman claimed he had not accepted money from anyone and had done nothing wrong and had no intention of resigning from his position of committee chairman.

A special investigative committee - headed by former People’s Party (ÖVP) Economy Minister Martin Bartenstein – was recently set up after rumours that a number of Austrian politicians and journalists have taken money from the Kazakh secret service.

The committee is to investigate allegations that Freedom Party (FPÖ) MP Harald Vilimsky has had ties to the Kazakh secret service and that Green MP Karl Öllinger spied on its members with the help of the police. They are also probing claims that the public prosecutor’s office took measures against Green MP Peter Pilz and Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) MP Peter Westenthaler without first seeking the lifting of their parliamentary immunity and Westenthaler’s mobile phone had been tapped as well as questions over the possible provision of information to BZÖ MP Ewald Stadler and BZÖ MP Herbert Scheibner by the defence ministry’s internal-security office.

The special committee is expected to also look into whether the police had former chief of the Federal Crime Office Herwig Haidinger under surveillance after he alleged last year there had been irregularities at the interior ministry.

Austrian Times

Related articles: political scandals

1. Vice chancellor refuses to exclude FPÖ

   » General News 2012-02-03

   The People’s Party (ÖVP) keeps refusing to disassociate itself from the Freedom Party (FPÖ) following FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache’s controversial comparisons with the Nazi era.

2. ÖVP-FPÖ coalition option unaffected by 'New Jews' quote

   » General News 2012-02-02

   Leading People’s Party (ÖVP) representatives have refused to rule out forming a coalition with the Freedom Party (FPÖ) after the coming election - despite disputed statements by the right-wing party’s chairman.

3. 'New Jews' controversy after disputed ball

   » General News 2012-02-01

   The head of Austria’s strongest right-wing party is in hot water following a controversial remark.

more related articles tagged "political scandals"

Camera leads to hit and run boarder arrest
Austrian police have arrested a hit-and-run snow boarder after issuing the man's picture to local media.

Tragic schoolgirl Julia to be laid to rest
An Austrian schoolgirl whose disappearance was once linked to incest monster Josef Fritzl is to be buried today.

Vienna ÖVP endorses proposed district cuts
Vienna People’s Party (ÖVP) Josefstadt district head Veronika Mickel suggested continuing to speak about a reduction of positions in the city's administration.

Skiing starts in Vienna
Over this winter holiday week, Vienna’s residents will once again be able to make a trip to the slopes without venturing out of the city. The capital’s very own ski slope, "High Hills", will be open daily to the public from 4 February until 11 February.

Vranitzky appreciates tuition fees discussion
Former Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Franz Vranitzky has said he welcomes the current debate about a reintroduction of tuition fees.

Wiener Linien records rising demand for annual passes
The number of people opting for annual Wiener Linien tickets is soaring.

Many Austrians mistrust jurisdiction
Almost four in 10 Austrians had a worse opinion of the country’s juridical system today than a few years ago, a new survey shows.

Ice wine harvest later than ever
The grapes for ice wine production have been harvested later than ever this year in Austria. The fruit for the popular dessert wine are normally picked in December at the latest but only now have the temperatures been cold enough for the harvest.

Westbahn welcomes 6,000 a day
Westbahn manages to sell one in two of the overall number of tickets it offers, a spokesman said today (Fri).

Vice chancellor refuses to exclude FPÖ
The People’s Party (ÖVP) keeps refusing to disassociate itself from the Freedom Party (FPÖ) following FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache’s controversial comparisons with the Nazi era.