Commerzialbank
The Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) wanted to confiscate a securities account from the wife of ex-Commerzialbank boss Martin Pucher in Switzerland, but flashed this request at the Vienna Regional Court, the “Kurier” reported on Tuesday.
11.01.2022 11.52
Online since today, 11:52 a.m.
(Update: 2:28 p.m.)
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From the WKStA it was said of the APA that individual steps in the investigation would not be commented on. Fundamentally, however, measures to secure assets are taken in a preliminary investigation.
Suspicion of money laundering
The value of the securities account at the Swiss bank UBS of Puchers wife is estimated at around 500,000 euros. According to “Kurier”, the WKStA suspects that the former bank manager Pucher “obtained these assets through his acts”. In September 2008 he closed the depot and transferred the assets, 600,000 euros, to his wife’s depot. The suspicion of the WKStA is reinforced by the fact that cash payments were made to the account transferred to the woman in August 2012 and May 2013, which resulted in a suspected money laundering report from UBS.
Pucher’s wife was neither accused nor party to liability
The Regional Court of Vienna pointed out, however, that Pucher’s wife was listed neither as a suspect nor as a party to liability. Nor could it be inferred that she “would have acquired the assets with a high degree of probability with knowledge of her husband’s malversations”. “A suspicion that your cash, which was illegally withdrawn from the commercial bank, was received immediately, can certainly not be inferred from the previous file contents,” said the regional court.
The WKStA did not comment on this on Tuesday. However, it is required by law to secure assets from a criminal offense in a preliminary investigation in the event of a conviction, for example for compensation for damage. Martin Pucher’s lawyer, Norbert Wess, told ORF Burgenland that both Martin Pucher and his wife denied that the money came from criminal activities. “
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