Vienna witnessed the commencement of a landmark espionage trial on Thursday, as former Austrian intelligence operative Egisto Ott faced charges of conducting extensive espionage activities for Russian intelligence services. The 63-year-old defendant stands accused of systematically compromising national security through unauthorized data collection and transmission to foreign agents.
The prosecution alleges that between 2015 and 2021, Ott exploited his official authority to harvest substantial volumes of sensitive information, including vehicle registration details, travel patterns, and personal data. This intelligence was reportedly funneled to both Russian intelligence operatives and Jan Marsalek, the fugitive former Wirecard executive currently believed to be residing in Moscow under Russian protection.
Court documents reveal Ott allegedly received financial compensation for supplying classified information extracted from national and international police databases. In a particularly serious allegation from 2022, prosecutors claim Marsalek commissioned Ott to acquire a specialized EU government laptop containing electronic security hardware for secure communications, which was subsequently delivered to Russian intelligence.
One extraordinary incident involves Ott allegedly recovering official phones belonging to senior Interior Ministry officials that accidentally fell into the Danube River during a boating excursion. Rather than returning the devices intact, Ott is accused of copying their contents and transferring the data to Marsalek and ultimately Moscow.
The case has triggered significant political repercussions, with former Chancellor Karl Nehammer characterizing the allegations as constituting ‘a threat to democracy and our country’s national security’ following Ott’s 2024 arrest. Ott maintains his innocence against all charges, which carry potential imprisonment of up to five years.
In a parallel development, Austrian prosecutors have charged former far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) parliament member Thomas Schellenbacher with facilitating Marsalek’s escape to Belarus following Wirecard’s spectacular collapse in 2020. The FPÖ has vigorously denied allegations of functioning as ‘an extension of Russia’s arm’ in Austria.
Marsalek himself remains an international fugitive, wanted by German authorities for alleged fraud and embezzlement connected to Wirecard’s missing €1.9 billion. Recent evidence from related espionage trials in London suggests Marsalek has undergone cosmetic surgery to alter his appearance and has been actively studying Russian while evading capture, reportedly boasting about needing to ‘outperform James Bond’ in his new role as a fugitive.