Former intelligence officer Egisto Ott has been found guilty of espionage for Russia in Austria.
Medianews.az reports that in the court proceedings held in Vienna, 63-year-old Ott was sentenced to 4 years and 1 month of imprisonment. His lawyer announced that an appeal has been filed against the decision.
The court determined that Egisto Ott passed confidential information to Russian intelligence, as well as to Jan Marsalek, the fugitive former head of the German payment systems company Wirecard.
Ott denied the charges in court. He claimed that he did not work for Moscow but rather carried out a secret operation related to one of the Western intelligence services.
Besides espionage, the court also found the former intelligence officer guilty of abuse of official authority, bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
According to the investigation materials, between 2015 and 2020, Ott collected confidential information and personal data from police databases and transferred them to Jan Marsalek and individuals connected with Russian special services. Allegedly, he received money in return.
One of the notable points of the case involved a special security laptop used by the European Union for secure electronic communications. The prosecution stated that this device was delivered to Russian intelligence.
In addition, it is claimed that data from service phones belonging to employees of the Austrian Ministry of the Interior was seized by Ott and sent to Moscow.
The prosecution said that Egisto Ott cooperated with Russia not for ideological reasons but due to financial interests and dissatisfaction with his professional life.
Ott’s conviction has renewed discussions in Austria regarding Russian espionage activities. Former Chancellor Karl Nehammer had previously called this case "a threat to democracy and national security." //Qaynarinfo