Former intelligence official Egisto Ott goes on trial in Vienna on Thursday, accused of spying for Russia in what is being dubbed Austria's biggest spy trial in years. Egisto Ott, 63, is charged with having handed over information to Russian intelligence officers and Jan Marsalek, the fugitive executive of collapsed German payments firm Wirecard. Ott denies the charges.
Jan Marsalek, who is also an Austrian citizen, is wanted by German police for alleged fraud and is currently believed to be in Moscow, having fled via Austria in 2020. The subject of an Interpol Red Notice, he is alleged to be an intelligence asset for the FSB, Russia's secretive security service.
The spy scandal has revived fears that Austria remains a hotbed of Russian espionage activity and observers will also be watching closely for details that could emerge about Marsalek. Prosecutors in Vienna say Egisto Ott 'abused his authority' as an Austrian intelligence official by collecting large amounts of personal data, such as locations, vehicle registration numbers, or travel movements. They say he did this between 2015 and 2020 without authorisation, often using national and international police databases.
Prosecutors also charge him with supporting 'a secret intelligence service of the Russian Federation to the detriment of the Republic of Austria' by collecting secret facts and a large amount of personal data from police databases between 2017 and 2021.
They say Egisto Ott gave this information to Jan Marsalek and unknown representatives of the Russian intelligence service, and received payment in return. In 2022, prosecutors say, Jan Marsalek commissioned him to obtain a laptop containing secret electronic security hardware used by EU states for secure electronic communication. The laptop, they say, was handed over to the Russian intelligence service.
He is also suspected of having passed phone data from senior Austrian interior ministry officials to Russia. Austria's Standard newspaper says Egisto Ott apparently obtained the work phones after they accidentally fell into the River Danube on an interior ministry boating trip. He is alleged to have copied their contents and passed them on to Jan Marsalek, and Moscow.
Egisto Ott is charged with abuse of authority and corruption and espionage against Austria and faces up to five years in prison if he is found guilty. When he was arrested in 2024, Austria's then Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, described the case as 'a threat to democracy and our country's national security'.
Jan Marsalek, who is also an Austrian citizen, is wanted by German police for alleged fraud and is currently believed to be in Moscow, having fled via Austria in 2020. The subject of an Interpol Red Notice, he is alleged to be an intelligence asset for the FSB, Russia's secretive security service.
The spy scandal has revived fears that Austria remains a hotbed of Russian espionage activity and observers will also be watching closely for details that could emerge about Marsalek. Prosecutors in Vienna say Egisto Ott 'abused his authority' as an Austrian intelligence official by collecting large amounts of personal data, such as locations, vehicle registration numbers, or travel movements. They say he did this between 2015 and 2020 without authorisation, often using national and international police databases.
Prosecutors also charge him with supporting 'a secret intelligence service of the Russian Federation to the detriment of the Republic of Austria' by collecting secret facts and a large amount of personal data from police databases between 2017 and 2021.
They say Egisto Ott gave this information to Jan Marsalek and unknown representatives of the Russian intelligence service, and received payment in return. In 2022, prosecutors say, Jan Marsalek commissioned him to obtain a laptop containing secret electronic security hardware used by EU states for secure electronic communication. The laptop, they say, was handed over to the Russian intelligence service.
He is also suspected of having passed phone data from senior Austrian interior ministry officials to Russia. Austria's Standard newspaper says Egisto Ott apparently obtained the work phones after they accidentally fell into the River Danube on an interior ministry boating trip. He is alleged to have copied their contents and passed them on to Jan Marsalek, and Moscow.
Egisto Ott is charged with abuse of authority and corruption and espionage against Austria and faces up to five years in prison if he is found guilty. When he was arrested in 2024, Austria's then Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, described the case as 'a threat to democracy and our country's national security'.
