Ruck on Benko-Deal: "I kept the lid on during the tests"

Walter Ruck, former president of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce (WKO), has made controversial remarks regarding the chamber’s purchase of the “House of Viennese Economy” from the now-insolvent Signa Group owned by René Benko. According to transcripts obtained by Kurier, Ruck suggested that the control committee of the WKO had deliberately concealed information during internal investigations into the transaction. The comments have reignited scrutiny over the deal, which took place around seven years ago and involved significant financial figures. The WKO purchased the building from Signa for approximately €121.74 million. As part of the agreement, two properties belonging to the WKO, Palais Festetics and the Gewerbehaus at Rudolf-Sallinger-Platz, were sold back to Signa for roughly €36 million. Shortly after, Signa resold these buildings to Klemens Hallmann’s Hallmann Group for €50 million. This discrepancy has raised questions about the fairness of the transactions and whether the WKO received value for its assets. Ruck’s remarks were made during a private conversation with Marko Fischer, president of the Social Democratic Economic Association of Vienna (SWV), in the wine cellar of Ruck’s residence. The discussion centered on the recent changes within the control committee following the 2025 elections of the WKO. Martha Wolf, previously representing the SWV in the committee, stepped down, and Gerald Zmuegg, a business consultant and president of the Freedom Party’s Economic Association of Vienna, assumed her seat. Fischer reportedly confronted Ruck about the situation, noting that Wolf had been dissatisfied with the outcome. Ruck responded by acknowledging that having a representative from the Freedom Party in the committee might not be ideal. He added that Wolf had worked well with the committee office, expressing regret that she would no longer be there. The most contentious part of the conversation came when Ruck stated that Wolf had ensured the committee office kept things under wraps during the investigations into the House of Viennese Economy. Fischer then warned Ruck that Zmuegg could cause problems, to which Ruck replied that he believed he could manage the situation, citing support from Christian Machacek, head of the control committee, and Meinhard Eckl, a former director of the WKO who is currently a member of the committee. Zmuegg declined to comment further on the allegations. However, the question remains: What exactly did the control committee conceal, and why? The WKO has denied Ruck’s claims, stating that this year it conducted an internal review of the WKO’s real estate dealings surrounding the House of Viennese Economy. According to the WKO, the Court of Audit confirmed that traffic value appraisals were obtained for the three properties in question and verified by a second appraiser. These assessments supported the purchase prices set by the WKO. Additionally, the WKO noted that two complaints submitted to the Economic and Corruption Prosecution Office (WKStA) related to the issue had not led to any formal investigations. The WKO emphasized that there were no indications that the control office had failed to fulfill its legal duties properly or conscientiously. It expressed confusion over Ruck’s statements and refused to validate them. Meanwhile, the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) Economics Ministry, which oversees the WKO, is still determining whether it is responsible for handling the case. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions within the WKO and raises concerns about transparency in high-profile business deals involving public institutions. With the control committee now including representatives from different political factions, the dynamics of oversight and accountability remain under close watch. The WKO continues to assert that all procedures followed proper protocols, while critics argue that more independent scrutiny is needed to ensure transparency.