The lawyers of Austrian property entrepreneur René Benko have rejected allegations of money laundering against the head of the insolvent Signa Group.
"The theories and allegations made in previous reports are unfounded," explained Munich-based lawyer Florian Ufer. "They are rejected."
The Munich public prosecutor's office had confirmed the previous day that there were investigations into suspected money laundering in connection with the Signa Group, but without naming one or more of the accused. The reason for this is criminal charges, it said, adding that these investigations have not progressed very far.
The press release revealed that other public prosecutors' offices in Germany are also involved in the case. According to the Munich investigators, local responsibilities are currently being clarified.
"We cannot comment on the statement from the public prosecutor's office," explained Benko's lawyer Ufer. "Obviously, the authorities are rightly still examining for themselves whether the existing suspicions of money laundering give cause for further investigations."
The central companies of the Signa Group filed for insolvency at the end of December, and Benko, who was considered a billionaire just a year ago, has now also filed for insolvency himself in Innsbruck, the capital of the Austrian state of Tyrol.
