Kurz comments on Marsalek's claims regarding his resignation as Chancellor

Politician's reaction to published documents

Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz commented on the publication of correspondence from Jan Marsalek, a former manager at Wirecard who is suspected of collaborating with Russian intelligence services. In a message dated 22 October 2021, Marsalek claimed that his team helped secure Kurz's resignation from the post of head of government.

It is worth noting that the politician himself announced his resignation on 9 October of the same year, i.e. 13 days before the date indicated in Marsalek's message.

Investigation details and links to the spy network

The published correspondence was addressed to Orlin Rusev, who headed a spy network operating on the territory of the United Kingdom. A British court sentenced Rusev to ten years and eight months in prison. According to the investigation, Rusev received instructions from Marsalek.

In one of the messages, Marsalek linked Kurz's resignation to the seizure of his mobile phone. However, no evidence has been presented to date that the spy network actually influenced the Austrian Chancellor's decision to resign.

Kurz's position and Marsalek's status

During an event in Vienna, Sebastian Kurz stated that he could not assess the credibility of Marsalek's claims. The politician instructed his lawyer to request access to the materials of the Austrian investigation and intends to wait for its results.

Jan Marsalek disappeared in June 2020 following the bankruptcy of the payment company Wirecard. The company's reports revealed a shortfall of approximately 1.9 billion euros. Marsalek is wanted in a fraud case and is also suspected of years-long collaboration with Russian intelligence services.