Martin Schlaff

Martin Shlomo Mordecai Joshua Slack ( born August 6, 1953 in Vienna) is an Austrian entrepreneur and networker. With an estimated fortune of 1.5 to 3 billion euros, he is one of the richest Austrians.

Life and economic activities

Martin Slack is the son of Jewish refugees who had landed in 1945 at a Vienna DP camp. His parents founded early or mid-1950s with the business men Ladislaus Moldovan and Friedrich Wiesel a trading company, which was mainly active in trade with the East. Slack studied at the Vienna University of Economics and got in the OHG Robert Placzek, which was founded in 1952 and deleted in 1987 and now operates under the name Robert Placzek AG and owned by the company " Robert Placzek " Holding Aktiengesellschaft. The GDR led slack as informer named " Landgraf ". The mayor of Vienna Zilk awarded him the 1993 Gold Medal for Service to the City of Vienna. Because slack is publicityscheu found the award ceremony held no press.

Osthandel

With the commercial firm Robert Placzek AG Slack was primarily involved in trade with the East and had good contacts with the tips of the German Democratic Republic and the Communist Party of Austria. After the opening of the East, he was suspected to have come with technology transfers and money laundering for the GDR to his not inconsiderable fortune. The German judiciary could however not find enough evidence and presented their investigations a in 2000.

Casino Project Oasis

Thanks to its excellent contacts even with the Palestinians, he succeeded in 1998 in Jericho to open a casino. The "Oasis", intended for Israeli players, but was closed during the Second Intifada in 2000.

As part of the approval process for the opening and planned rapid reopening of the casino should have done several high-ranking politicians Slack large bribes. Decisive evidence was supplied by the former Austrian Vice Chancellor Norbert Steger (FPÖ ). He had testified before a French court that a million dollars involved in the Oasis project Liechtenstein company were used to create " a good atmosphere with respect to the casino ."

Early September 2010, reported the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that Israeli investigations slack have identified as the author of transfers to the Sharon family in the amount of $ 4,500,000 and recommend an indictment for bribery. Also dealing with the case Austrian prosecutor Gerhard Jarosch sees the suspicion of bribery confirmed. Logs of wiretapped phone calls slack confirm that this best contacts to the highest Israeli circles, especially to Sharon and the current Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had. Lieberman, who headed the Ministry of Infrastructure at the time of the casino project is said to have next to Sharon and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also received bribes totaling at least $ 650,000. Furthermore supported slack with hundreds of thousands of dollars the former chairman of the Shas party, Aryeh Deri, who had to defend himself in court against charges of accepting bribes. Deri was eventually convicted.

The investigations in the wake of Oasis - bribery scandal have already been held since 2003 and had been repeatedly hindered or delayed by Austrian authorities and slack. Peter Pilz accused the former Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero- Waldner, that these delays would have been in consideration for the re- posting of an Israeli ambassador to Vienna. Slack avoids recent visit to Israel. He took no part in the funeral of his father Chaim slack in Jerusalem after the Israeli police announced his arrest in the case of entry to Israel for interrogation.

Mobile Deal

In 2002, Slack took over with his partners, former ÖVP chairman Josef Taus and the former regional bank CEO Herbert Cordt the largest Bulgarian mobile operator Mobile from now by international arrest warrant searched Russian businessman Michael Cherney. This acquisition cost 850 million euros and was financed by BAWAG. There, the consortium has the company to organize by Western standards, and in 2005 the Telekom Austria to resell. As a profit from the short-term commitment 800 million euros will be hawked. The BAWAG itself rose from excluding gain from this deal.

Mobtel Deal

2005 Slack tried to repeat the coup in Bulgaria - Serbia. With its partners, Josef Taus and Herbert Cordt he took over the shares of Serbian mobile communications company Mobtel of Bogoljub Karic. However, the government revoked the company's license. After intervention by the Austrian government, a compromise was negotiated, secured the investment of the group, although this did not come to train at the eventual auction in 2006.

BAWAG affair

Slack was questioned as a witness for BAWAG process. Transactions to his company so he explained that they were parked for a mediated at the BAWAG businessman .. Slack emphasized that he knew nothing of the high losses by Flöttls speculation. Addressed at the end of the testimony to its rightful travel reimbursement, the billionaire said only: "Thank you, I can manage. "

In October 2006 Slack made ​​headlines because he provided a million euros as a deposit for his longtime friend, chess partner and business partner Helmut Elsner, who was arrested in the wake of the BAWAG scandal in France.

Connections to Gazprom

Slack is also associated with Gazprom Company in connection. His close business partner Michael Hason holds numerous positions in the Centrex Group, which is the Gazprom Group attributed. In addition, slack has a company in Cyprus, which is registered under the same address as the Centrex Holding. Both companies share some CEO. Slack, Centrex, and Robert Nowikovsky have the same press officer.

Other economic activities

The end of 2006 took over Martin Slack control over 30 % of the refractory group RHI AG.

In September 2007, he was instrumental in the acquisition of the Belarusian mobile operator MDC by Telekom Austria - alleged to 1.05 billion euros.

Network activity

The large network Schlaffs based on the principle of give and take. Former Stasi officers came under slack in firms, ex -Telecom Chief Financial Officer Stefano Colombo, who bought from him the Mobile expensive, joined the Board of RHI. Also at RHI, the Supervisory Board, one finds ex- vice-chancellor Hubert Gorbach. There he receives at least a basic income, which should compensate his political interventions in the Balkans.

In 2002, Slack used his contacts to Ariel Sharon to support the Austrian government under Chancellor for attempting to normalize relations with Israel. 2003 again a messenger was sent to Austria.

In August 2010 Slack mediated the release of the espionage allegations detained in Libya Israeli Rafael Haddad. This was flown on August 8, from Libya to Vienna and received there by the Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Slack used it its good contacts with revolutionary leader Gaddafi and his son Saif.

Others

Slack has a collection of anti-Semitism with around 5000 objects, which cover a period from 1490 to 1946, compiled in ten years' work, which he gave in 1993 the City of Vienna for the Jewish Museum. These cataloged the exhibits and prepared it for a major exhibition.

Slack is the father of six sons and marry for the third time (September 2010). End of March 2008 came Martin slack in the headlines because he divorced from his wife Andrea and thereby paid rumored 200 million euros compensation.

In October 2012 Martin Slack said as the last witness before the Committee of Inquiry into allegations of corruption, but he provoked with a Gestapo comparison.

Slack is considered SPÖ close.