Former intelligence official Egisto Ott has been found guilty of spying for Russia, marking Austria's most significant spy trial in recent years. A jury in Vienna convicted the 63-year-old for handing over critical information to Russian intelligence officers and Jan Marsalek, the fugitive ex-executive of the collapsed German payments firm Wirecard. Ott was sentenced to four years and one month in prison, with his lawyer filing an appeal against the verdict.
The trial has reignited concerns that Austria is a hotspot for Russian espionage activities. In addition to espionage, Ott was convicted of misuse of office, bribery, aggravated fraud, and breach of trust. The court heard that he had supported the Russian Federation's intelligence services by collecting secret data, including personal information from police databases, while operating from 2015 to 2020. Prosecutors asserted that he received payment for this information, including data that threatened national interests.
Marsalek, who is on the run and believed to be in Moscow, has been charged with fraud and is an Interpol Red Notice subject. Prosecutors outlined that he commissioned Ott to acquire a laptop containing sensitive security hardware used for secure communications by EU states, which was subsequently passed to Russian intelligence.
Furthermore, Ott facilitated access to phone data belonging to senior Austrian interior ministry officials after their mobile devices accidentally fell into the River Danube during an official boating trip. While denying the charges, Ott claimed he was executing a covert operation in collaboration with a Western intelligence service. The case illustrates the growing worry over foreign intelligence operations in Austria, prompting officials to label Ott's actions as a severe threat to national security.
The trial has reignited concerns that Austria is a hotspot for Russian espionage activities. In addition to espionage, Ott was convicted of misuse of office, bribery, aggravated fraud, and breach of trust. The court heard that he had supported the Russian Federation's intelligence services by collecting secret data, including personal information from police databases, while operating from 2015 to 2020. Prosecutors asserted that he received payment for this information, including data that threatened national interests.
Marsalek, who is on the run and believed to be in Moscow, has been charged with fraud and is an Interpol Red Notice subject. Prosecutors outlined that he commissioned Ott to acquire a laptop containing sensitive security hardware used for secure communications by EU states, which was subsequently passed to Russian intelligence.
Furthermore, Ott facilitated access to phone data belonging to senior Austrian interior ministry officials after their mobile devices accidentally fell into the River Danube during an official boating trip. While denying the charges, Ott claimed he was executing a covert operation in collaboration with a Western intelligence service. The case illustrates the growing worry over foreign intelligence operations in Austria, prompting officials to label Ott's actions as a severe threat to national security.
