VIENNA: An Austrian court is expected to rule on Wednesday on a former intelligence official charged over spying for Russia, the most high-profile espionage case to have shaken the EU member in recent years.
Austria has been rocked by several cases centered on suspected spying for Moscow, with the current government wanting to harden the legislation to crack down on this.
Former agent Egisto Ott, 63, has pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges that include handing over sensitive devices and selling secret information to Russia.
His trial began in January and stretched over 12 days.
Ott on Tuesday told AFP that he rejected all the accusations — including suspected abuse of office, corruption and espionage to the detriment of Austria — and was “innocent.”
