GEHEIMDIENSTE (6): The "chief spy" and the ÖVP

The investigating committee, which is supposed to clarify the political responsibility for the events surrounding the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (BVT), has a problem that has been barely illuminated so far: They are working with old files. ADDENDUM on the struggle over the Austrian domestic intelligence service.

The MPs do not know what has happened in the past months in the BVT criminal proceedings of the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office. Until recently, the status of the files with which the committee members are working was that of April 2018. This means, for example, that they also do not know the office note that an investigator created on August 24, 2018. If they were aware of it, one would probably have to ask themselves in the House of Parliament whether it makes sense to continue the investigative committee with this staff lineup.

Mobile phone of the former department head evaluated

Most recently, the faction leader of the ÖVP, Werner Amon, has been massively involved in the committee's work. Critically, like few others, he questioned the investigative work of the leading prosecutor. This is his right. However, the question is: Does Amon represent the interests of the citizens as an enlightener? Or does he have other interests?

The latter cannot be ruled out, as the mentioned office note with the subject "Possible unauthorized disclosure of LANSKY data" shows: The investigators of the prosecutor's office evaluated the mobile phone of the - now dismissed - BVT "chief spy" P. Former department head P. has been friends with Amon since his youth. From the mobile data, it becomes clear that the close connection existed until the recent past.

"Yes Sir"

During the period from May 2014 to February 2018, the investigators were able to find a total of more than 200 SMS or iMessages and more than 60 calls between P. and Amon. The office note states: "From communicating with the mobile phone of Dr. P. (...) of the two mentioned individuals, a private, friendly relationship can be inferred." Side note: When P. affirmatively answered a previous SMS from Amon, he liked to write: "Yes Sir."

The private connection is one thing. However, there may be a worrying aspect to the connection. The prosecutor's office came across this when comparing the mobile data with the expense reports that P. had submitted to the BVT.

Mysterious appointments

According to the expense reports, P. was at the Viennese Café Griensteidl on the morning of January 23, 2015. He had the costs of 19 euros refunded by his employer - as cash expenses "in connection with Kazakh ND." This probably meant: "Kazakh intelligence service." The invoice was filed under the case number under which the investigations against the SPÖ-affiliated Viennese lawyer Gabriel Lansky were pending at the BVT.

Lansky had been accused of espionage in the context of the case involving the former Kazakh ambassador Rakhat Aliyev. The case has since been closed. P., in whose department the investigations were conducted, wrote on the invoice that his cash expenses were "connection costs." In the office note, the investigators refer to a decree from the BMI, according to which "connection costs" are defined as "expenses of all kinds for informants."

And another invoice

This is not the only invoice of this kind: P. submitted another one with the same case number - for 23 euros for a bill from Café Raimund on January 26, 2015. Three days after the first appointment, P. would have been on a secret mission again in this matter.

From SMS messages that the investigators came across, it is possible that the "chief spy" could have met with a cabinet member from an ÖVP-led ministry at the first appointment. Werner Amon could have been one of the discussion partners at the second meeting. Perhaps another person was also present, possibly the aforementioned cabinet member. However, P. and Amon deny that a meeting involving three people took place.

"No connection to the Lansky case"

P.'s lawyer, Otto Dietrich, stated in response to an inquiry from Addendum that a meeting between his client and the cabinet member could not be ruled out. However, the attorney denies any connection to the BVT espionage investigations against Lansky. Neither Amon nor the cabinet member were informants in the Lansky case, according to the lawyer. It is excluded that P. would have disclosed official information regarding the Lansky case. The billing of the costs was carried out "always with the approval of the department head", as with all other billings.

"The whole of Vienna was talking about Lansky"

Werner Amon stated when asked specifically whether a meeting took place on January 26, 2015 at Café Raimund with him and P. that he did not know. Since this was actually some time ago, Addendum asked the MP if there had ever been meetings between him and P. where the Lansky case was discussed. Amon replied: "There were times when the whole city was talking about Mr. Attorney Dr. Lansky. Surely I did, too. The newspapers were full of articles. Therefore, I do not completely rule out that he was the topic once or twice."

Amon emphasizes that he informed the investigative committee before P.'s interrogation at a public session that he had been "friendlily connected to him for many years." Such a close relationship may be relevant in other interrogations as well.

Meeting regarding Lansky after the end of the investigation?

P. was dismissed because secret documents were found at his home during the investigations. He denies all accusations and is also challenging his dismissal. According to an expense report, P. still had a meeting about the Lansky investigation in a restaurant in Vienna with a - so far unknown - person in September 2016. The case had already been closed for half a year by then. Asked by Addendum, attorney Dietrich denied that his client had continued to investigate on his own initiative.

The occasional informant

Referring to another BVT file, "chief spy" P. had a bill for an 80 euro breakfast at Hotel Sacher reimbursed at the end of 2016 - "in connection with a meeting with an occasional informant." Based on the mobile data, the investigators believe that P. met with Werner Amon. Other invoices with the same case number mention an occasional informant referred to as "VIATOR." Perhaps Werner Amon and the other factions in the investigative committee will shed light on who that might be.

ADDENDUM Article Series BVT:

The Introduction on SPARTANAT: BVT in Austria: How broken was the intelligence service?

Part 1: The BVT - a misconstruction?

Part 2: Austrian Agent with an Agenda

Part 3: The "chief spy" who came from the party

Part 4: Agent Gridling - the other BVT affair

Part 5: The Wall of Silence

More to come…

This article was first published on ADDENDUM. Copyright Text: ADDENDUM. Images: ADDENDUM

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