Overview

• Prosecutors accuse Benko of fraudulently causing insolvency by diverting €660,000, including a €330,000 advance for a house and a €300,000 gift to a relative.
• The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday at the Innsbruck regional court, launching the criminal phase of the Signa fallout.
• Benko has been held in pre‑trial detention since January 2025, and under Austrian law total enforceable prison time would not exceed ten years even after multiple convictions.
• Authorities cite roughly 14 investigative strands in Austria with about 15 suspects, alongside probes in Germany and Italy that include money‑laundering suspicions.
• The collapse spans a network of about 1,130 companies with creditor claims near €27 billion (€9 billion recognized), while claims against Benko personally total about €2.7 billion (€47 million recognized), and high‑profile figures have filed or withdrawn claims.