Former Austrian chancellor to go on trial over alleged false statements to parliamentary inquiry

VIENNA (AP) — Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is set to go on trial on a charge of having allegedly made false statements to a parliamentary inquiry into alleged corruption in his first government. The charges center on his testimony to the inquiry that focused on the coalition made up of his conservative People’s Party and the far-right Freedom Party that governed from 2017 to 2019. Kurz is accused of giving false evidence in June 2020 regarding his role in setting up and appointing the leadership of a holding company that administers the state’s role in some companies. The charge of giving false evidence carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison. Kurz has denied any wrongdoing.