Signa bankruptcy Vienna public prosecutor's office investigates former Migros manager Dieter Berninghaus
In Vienna, criminal prosecutors are investigating the former retail strategist of bankrupt René Benko. Benko is said to have secretly recorded a conversation with Dieter Berninghaus, a former Migros manager. The case is about a possible loan.
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- The economic and corruption prosecutor's office in Vienna has opened an investigation into former Migros head of retail Dieter Berninghaus.
- In 2022, the companion of Austrian real estate entrepreneur and former billionaire René Benko allegedly received a loan of around 16.9 million from the Signa holding company, which was "not economically justifiable".
- The public prosecutor's office apparently assumes that Berninghaus may have used the loan to buy a private house.
According to the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung", the economic and corruption prosecutor's office in Vienna has opened an investigation into former Migros head of retail Dieter Berninghaus. He is accused of embezzlement, according to the report. In 2022, the companion of Austrian real estate entrepreneur and former billionaire René Benko is said to have received a loan of around 16.9 million from Signa Holding. This was "not economically justifiable".
The public prosecutor's office assumes that Berninghaus may have used the loan to purchase a private house. This is according to a document obtained by the NZZ.
Berninghaus denies all allegations. The payment was an early disbursement and not a loan, a spokesperson told the newspaper when asked.
Benko allegedly spied on Berninghaus
As reported by the NZZ, mutual mistrust has prevailed at Benko's real estate and retail group in recent months. Benko allegedly had Berninghaus, his Zurich-based former chief strategist for the retail business, and his family spied on for months.
A conversation apparently secretly recorded by Benko has now led to the Vienna authorities investigating Berninghaus.
According to the NZZ, Berninghaus was one of Benko's closest companions for a long time. Before joining the Austrian bankrupt's real estate and retail group, the German-born manager was head of retail at Migros. He left Migros in 2016 and took on consultancy mandates for Signa.
Benko has been in custody in a solitary cell in Vienna for over a month.