A former Austrian intelligence official went on trial in a Vienna court on Thursday, January 22nd charged with handing over sensitive devices and selling secret information to Russia.
The trial is the latest to stem from a sprawling case that broke in 2024 and centres on former agent Egisto Ott.
The 63-year-old faces a slew of charges including suspected abuse of office, corruption, and espionage to the detriment of Austria. He has denied the accusations.
Through his actions, Ott risked inflicting “serious damage” on Austria’s reputation among friendly intelligence services, according to the indictment.
Between 2015 and 2022, Ott is alleged to have acted on the orders of Jan Marsalek, an Austrian executive of collapsed German payment processing firm Wirecard, in return for a total payment of more than €80,000.
Fugitive Marsalek is wanted on fraud charges and is suspected of working for Russia’s intelligence services (FSB).
Ott, who denies wrongdoing, could face up to five years in prison if found guilty.
