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Real estate entrepreneur Benko
Photo:
Marcel Kusch / dpa
Deutsche Bank is withdrawing from real estate magnate René Benko and his Signa group.
SPIEGEL learned from people familiar with the events that she terminated Signa's business accounts and the private accounts of Benko and his wife towards the end of last year.
The background is the allegations of corruption against the Austrian entrepreneur, who is also the owner of the insolvent department store chain Galeria.
The Financial Times (FT) had previously reported on the bank's decision to end its business relationship with Benko.
Deutsche Bank did not comment on request.
The corruption investigations by the Austrian Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) apparently have consequences for the billionaire for the first time.
The proceedings are about the allegations of corruption and bribery of the former highest-ranking Austrian tax official by Benko.
In return, he had promised himself tax breaks, according to the prosecutors' allegations.
Benko and Signa vehemently reject this, the presumption of innocence applies.
In the autumn, officials from the WKStA had searched Signa offices in Vienna and Innsbruck, securing mail traffic and several folders on property valuations.
Benko's Signa Group owns a real estate portfolio worth 24 billion euros, it is a co-owner of Berlin's KaDeWe, the Chrysler Building in New York and the world-famous London luxury department store Selfridges.
Although Deutsche Bank is not Signa's house bank, two years ago it supported a green bond of around EUR 300 million with other institutions.
In addition, there is still a business relationship with Galeria, which is also to be continued.
On request, Signa said there were no existing loans or a loan or investment banking deal with Deutsche Bank, and there were no talks about this either.
Benko also had no private business relationship with Deutsche Bank.
While the FT had not claimed there was any ongoing lending or investment banking business.
Nevertheless, the article is wrong, according to Signa, and "legal action" is being examined.
