Former Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz convicted of false statements, given suspended sentence

By STEPHANIE LIECHTENSTEIN
Associated Press

VIENNA (AP) — Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has been convicted of making false statements to a parliamentary inquiry into alleged corruption in his first government. He has been given an eight-month suspended sentence. The verdict Friday at the Vienna criminal court followed a four-month trial. The case marked the first time in more than 30 years that a former Austrian chancellor had stood trial. The case centered on Kurz’s testimony to an inquiry that focused on the coalition he led from 2017 until its collapse in 2019. Prosecutors accused the 37-year-old of having given false evidence in June 2020 regarding his role in the setting up of a holding company, and the appointment of a former close confidant to its leadership.