Austrian Property Tycoon Rene Benko Arrested Amid Corruption Probe

Rene Benko, founder of the Austrian property group Signa, was arrested at his Innsbruck villa amid a corruption investigation. An Italian judge ordered his arrest alongside eight others linked to alleged political corruption in northern Italy. Despite previous Austrian statements to the contrary, Benko was detained.

Rene Benko, founder of the fallen Austrian property group Signa, was arrested at his villa in Innsbruck, according to a report by the Kronen Zeitung on Thursday.

The arrest follows an Italian judge's order, which implicated Benko and eight others in a probe into alleged political corruption in northern Italy. Sources in close contact with the investigation had earlier informed Reuters about the judge's decision.

The development marks a shift from Austrian authorities' initial stance last month, where they indicated no plans to detain Benko despite the ongoing investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)