Pretrial detention extended: René Benko must remain in prison

In its decision, the Vienna Higher Regional Court assumes that Benko is “strongly suspected” of having committed serious fraud, infidelity and fraudulent crime as well as falsification of evidence. The court sees the reason for his arrest as the risk of committing a crime in the fear, based on “numerous concrete investigation results”, that Benko will commit further acts with great damage to other people’s assets while at large. In view of the particular scope of the investigation, the degree of suspicion, the seriousness of the allegations with “unprecedented overall damage”, the court considers the continuation of the pre-trial detention and the previous duration of around one year of detention to be proportionate. Benko has been in custody since January 2025.

Benko defender: Decision “incomprehensible”

Benko’s defense attorney called the decision “incomprehensible” in a statement to the APA. Wess argued that Benko, as an innocent Austrian citizen who is completely socially integrated in Austria, has been in custody for more than a year now. It does not appear clear how a “concrete” risk of committing a crime can still be assumed in this specific case. “We will now calmly analyze the decision with our client and decide together with him whether further legal action will be taken to the Supreme Court via a fundamental rights complaint.”

In October 2025, Benko was not legally sentenced to two years in prison in Innsbruck in the first criminal case for fraudulent Krida. In a second trial in December of the same year, Benko was also sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraudulent Krida. Following objections from the Economic and Corruption Public Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) and the defense, this judgment is also not legally binding. Benko has always denied any allegations.