Verdict Expected May 20 for Former Austrian Intelligence Officer Accused of Spying for Russia

(CNA Vienna, May 19, Comprehensive Foreign Report) An Austrian court is expected tomorrow to deliver a verdict on a former intelligence officer accused of spying for Russia, in what is the EU member state's most high-profile top-level espionage case in recent years. According to AFP, Austria has recently been rocked by several cases of alleged intelligence gathering for Moscow, and the current government is hoping to tighten laws to crack down on espionage. Egisto Ott, a 63-year-old former intelligence officer, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, which include delivering sensitive equipment to Russia and selling classified information. Ott told AFP today that he rejects all accusations, including alleged abuse of office, corruption, and espionage detrimental to Austria's interests, insisting he is "innocent." "I have never sold or passed on information to Russian intelligence services in any way," he said, adding that he always acted within the law and on the orders of his superiors. If convicted, Ott faces up to five years in prison. Another Austrian intelligence agent is also on trial with Ott, accused of abuse of office, partly for allegedly assisting Ott. According to the indictment seen by AFP, Ott acted at the risk of causing "serious damage" to Austria's reputation among friendly intelligence agencies. The indictment alleges that between 2015 and 2022, Ott acted on the orders of Jan Marsalek, an Austrian executive at the defunct German payment processing company Wirecard, in exchange for a total of more than 80,000 euros. Marsalek, a fugitive wanted on fraud charges, is suspected of working for Russian intelligence agencies.