Particle.news
Download on the App Store

René Benko Gets 15-Month Suspended Sentence in Safe Case, Wife Acquitted

Prosecutors continue wide-ranging Signa inquiries despite a ruling that narrowed the safe allegations.

Overview

  • The Innsbruck court handed Benko a 15-month sentence on probation and a €4,320 fine after finding him partly guilty in the safe case.
  • Judges convicted him only over two high‑value watches and several cufflinks worth about €100,000 and cleared him of allegations tied to additional watches and €120,000 in cash.
  • Nathalie Benko was acquitted because the court said the acts could not be attributed to her.
  • Benko remains in pre-trial detention since January 2025; his defense plans a release application, while the WKStA argues detention grounds still exist and a judge will rule.
  • A separate October verdict of two years’ imprisonment is not yet final, and the WKStA is pursuing roughly 14 Signa-related investigation strands with further cases expected.