Austrian spy found guilty of giving secrets to Wirecard fugitive

An ex-Austrian intelligence officer, Egisto Ott, has been found guilty of passing state secrets to a fugitive former executive of the Wirecard company. Ott was sentenced to over four years in prison for charges including spying, abuse of office, bribery, and embezzlement. The court found that between 2017 and 2021, Ott, a former director in Austria's secret service, shared classified information with Wirecard's ex-chief operating officer Jan Marsalek and Russian operatives. This intelligence reportedly concerned former Russian spies and an investigative journalist. Ott was also convicted of handing over an encrypted laptop used by EU officials to an unknown individual on behalf of Marsalek. The case has prompted Austrian authorities to review and tighten espionage regulations. Ott intends to appeal the verdict.

Former Austrian intelligence official Egisto Ott has been found guilty of spying for Russia, in what is described as Austria's largest spy trial in years. A jury in Vienna convicted Ott, 63, of handing over classified information to Russian intelligence officers and fugitive Wirecard executive Jan Marsalek between 2015 and 2020. The court heard that Ott accessed police databases to collect secret facts and personal data, which he then provided in exchange for payment. In addition to spying, Ott was found guilty of misuse of office, bribery, aggravated fraud, and breach of trust. He was sentenced to four years and one month in prison, though his lawyer has appealed the verdict. The case has reignited concerns about Russian espionage activities in Austria.