• The former chief inspector who led the investigation into the death of Christian Pilnacek testified before a parliamentary investigative committee, calling the allegations against him ‘unfounded’.
  • He stated that investigators treated Pilnacek’s family with utmost respect and that there were no interventions in the investigation.
  • He accused the media and politicians of making him an ‘object of political settling of scores’ and of constructing ‘conspiracy theories’.
  • Pilnacek’s confidante Karin Wurm allegedly concealed the existence of a laptop, and the mobile phone was not seized because it was ’not relevant from a criminalistic perspective’.
  • A public prosecutor from the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) also testified; she had led proceedings against two investigators that were later dropped but criticized police work.
  • Political parties were divided: FPÖ criticized a ’lack of criminalistic diligence’, ÖVP defended police work, and NEOS pointed out that the prosecutor’s office was ‘master of the proceedings’.

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