VIENNA: The perjury trial of Austria’s conservative former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz entered its final scheduled day on Friday with a verdict due that would derail any probability Kurz has of launching a political comeback sooner or later. Kurz, 37, denies downplaying his affect over the appointment of executives to newly created state holding firm OBAG when he was chancellor, when these appointments have been formally his finance minister’s duty. The case centres on his testimony to a parliamentary fee of inquiry that he was “involved in the sense of informed”. Prosecutors allege that Kurz was pulling the strings all alongside and have produced proof together with textual content messages and testimony by a star witness – former Kurz loyalist Thomas Schmid, the primary head of OBAG, who has turned state witness. Kurz appeared within the Vienna courthouse in a darkish go well with and light-weight blue shirt and as in earlier appearances remained standing slightly than sitting on the spot reserved for defendants when cameras have been within the courtroom earlier than proceedings started. Kurz’s then coalition accomplice, the Greens, compelled him from workplace in 2021 when prosecutors positioned him and 9 different folks underneath investigation in a separate case on suspicion of corruption. Prosecutors have but to determine whether or not to convey fees in that probably way more damaging case. Kurz denies all wrongdoing. At his perjury trial, Kurz faces as much as three years in jail however any verdict is more likely to be pronounced late on Friday since two witnesses are as a result of testify earlier than closing arguments. Kurz has now left politics and the conservatives have slid to second or third place within the polls, making it doubtless they may lose seats in a parliamentary election this 12 months. That has prompted hypothesis amongst his supporters that he may finally return to steer the occasion and reverse its fortunes. Polls, nonetheless, present a transparent majority of Austrians say they are not looking for that. Kurz says he’s completely happy in his new profession as a businessman.
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