Spy scandal revives fears of Austrian exposure to Russia - BBC News

Egisto Ott was detained last month on suspicion of spying for Russia, prompting a raft of allegations.

11 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Munich PoliceImage caption, The man at the centre of the spy affair is an Austrian executive wanted by German police called Jan Marsalek and now believed to be in RussiaBy Bethany BellBBC News, ViennaIt is being called Austria's biggest espionage scandal for decades, which began with the arrest of a former domestic security official and has led to a raft of allegations and accusations.

Egisto Ott, 61, was detained at the end of March on suspicion of spying for Russia.

According to an 86-page Austrian police warrant, obtained by Austrian and German media, Mr Ott is suspected of passing information to Jan Marsalek, the fugitive executive of collapsed German payments firm Wirecard.

Mr Marsalek, 44 and 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.

A recent report by a group of European newspapers said he was recruited by Russian agents in 2014.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68833834

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