Ibizagate scam: Ex-Vice-chancellor of Austria Heinz-Christian Strache gets 15-month jail

The former vice-chancellor of Austria, Heinz-Christian Strache, has been sentenced to 15-month imprisonment on corruption charges. This came after a Vienna court found the former chancellor guilty of giving political favour to a hospital and trying to change the laws to favour a private hospital in exchange for donations. According to media reports, judge Claudia Moravec-Loidolt announced that Strache manipulated the system in exchange for party donations worth up to €12,000 and a lucrative offer of a yacht holiday in Corfu. Former vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache found guilty in 'Ibizagate' case The former FPO leader, who served as vice-chancellor of Australia from 2017 to 2019, was first caught in a sting operation that shook Austrian politics to the core. The 6-hour-long-secret recording exposed the Austrian leader as he was seen discussing the dirty politics he wanted to play for the 2017 elections. The sting operation is popular with the name "Ibizgate" scandal. Strache was accompanied by a woman who presented herself as the niece of a Russian oligarch who was ready to invest in Austria in the drunken meeting. At the same meeting, Strache was offered hefty financial assistance for running his campaign in exchange for manipulation of the law. He was asked to change the Austrian law if he came to power in favour of the hospital so that all public tenders go into the account of that hospital. A hidden camera captured the meeting, and the video clip was later released to the media in 2019, which resulted in Austria's government collapse. Meanwhile, there are several other stories as well, which came to light after investigation. Notably, after Strache's party came into power, the law was amended as discussed in the drunken party. The new law introduced by Strache's government helped hospitals like Grubmuller to receive money from the public health insurance fund. He is also accused of misusing party funds to pay for his luxurious lifestyle during his 14 years at the party. Image Credit: AP

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Ibizagate scam: Ex-Vice-chancellor of Austria Heinz-Christian Strache gets 15-month jail

The former vice-chancellor of Austria, Heinz-Christian Strache, has been sentenced to 15-month imprisonment on corruption charges.

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