Overview

• The 48-year-old pleaded not guilty and declined to answer questions, as the opening session ended after roughly two hours and is set to resume Wednesday with witness testimony.
• Charges center on a roughly €360,000 advance for a villa lease and a €300,000 transfer to a relative, which prosecutors say shielded assets from creditors; the defense argues the lease had value and the advance was refundable.
• Benko has been in pre-trial detention since January 2025 and was brought to the Innsbruck court from custody, with around 70 accredited journalists observing the proceedings.
• A verdict could come as early as Wednesday in this case, which carries a potential sentence of one to ten years under Austria’s ‘betrügerische Krida’ statute.
• Parallel investigations span Austria, Germany and Italy, including a separate indictment over a hidden safe with €120,000 in cash and luxury items, as authorities also scrutinize complex foundation structures and large creditor claims.