Criminal charges filed in Austria against former Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache and two executives of the gambling giant Novomatic – founder Johann Graf and former CEO of Novomatic/Ainsworth Harald Neumann – have cast a shadow over a corporate saga between the two companies on the other side of the world. Austrian prosecutors have alleged that Strache accepted benefits in exchange for influencing his official actions, while Graf and Neumann allegedly offered these benefits to gain political influence.
The centrepiece of the case involves the appointment of Peter Sidlo, a politically connected candidate, to the management board of Casinos Austria. Prosecutors claim that the appointment was politically motivated rather than merit-based, with Strache supposedly signalling he could support Novomatic’s interests in gambling policy and licensing decisions.
