Millions of dispute over Signa escalates before the collapse – Diepresse.com
The dispute for EUR 16.9 million between Benko and Berninghaus is burdening the investigation into the Signa bankruptcy. This reports the « NZZ. »
The real estate juggler René Benko, now in custody, was also a dispute with Dieter Berninghaus, his former chief strategist for the trading business, at the end of 2023. At the end of November 2023 there was a heated argument between the two, on which basis a payment to Berninghaus had flowed over EUR 16.9 million. Benko described the money flow in the conversation as a loan, Berninghaus in return for a share sale, according to the « NZZ » on Tuesday.
The « Neue Zürcher Zeitung » (NZZ) relies on a recording recording that Benko himself apparently made and which is available to the newspaper. In June 2024, the investigators had found a smartphone with a recording in a house search in Benkos Villa in Innsbruck. The Signa Holding filed for bankruptcy immediately after the conversation. « The inner circle around René Benko was sunk with mutual blame in a hopeless mud battle at that time, » writes the NZZ with reference to the recording. Benko had Berninghaus, who had already withdrawn from day -to -day business at the end of May 2023. The Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) in Vienna is investigating the flow of money from 2022.
Shared stocks or credit
Berninghaus insists in the conversation that he had sold part of his shares for the flow of money after Benko extended cooperation with him in early 2022. In the course of this, he redeemed part of his sales options. But Benko insisted that Berninghaus did not correspond to reality.
Berninghaus had no operational function at Signa, although it was decisive when building the trading area. Rather, he was involved in a consultant contract. However, he was indirectly involved in the real estate and trade group through a company through a company of his wife. So -called « Phantom Stocks » would have guaranteed profit distributions without granting them without shareholders.
Let Bart grow so as not to be recognized
At the time of the conversation, it was apparently clear to the participants that the situation was critical. « Berninghaus warns Benko of the social consequences that threatened him should go under. But Benko was only about how he could conclusively justify payment to the other investors. They would think that he and Berninghaus had pulled them over the table, Benko continued in the recording according to NZZ.
Benko also raises severe allegations against Dieter Berninghaus from the custody. This did not withdraw from all functions in the Signa in 2023, but the Signa ended the cooperation with Berninghaus, said Benko. According to the newspaper, the enormous losses of the trade division, led by Dieter Berninghaus, were an essential main reason for the Signa’s imbalance, which is included in the investigation files. The two gentlemen also assign responsibility for the capital increase of 2023. (APA)
