NEOS Boycott Private Experts in Pilnacek Inquiry

The Austrian NEOS party announced it will boycott the questioning of private forensic experts in the ongoing parliamentary inquiry into the "Pilnacek case." Party leader Sophie Wotschke declared that she will not pose any questions to Stefano Longato and Michael Tsokos, private experts commissioned by former politician Peter Pilz, during the next two committee sessions.

Wotschke argued that these private experts cannot contribute to the inquiry's central objectives, which focus on potential political influence on investigations and the functioning of criminal police and the judiciary. She emphasized that the experts do not act in an official capacity and have no new insights into the authorities' actions. Furthermore, the handling of private expert opinions by the Krems public prosecutor's office has already been extensively discussed in previous sessions.

The NEOS fear that questioning these individuals could further promote discredited speculation and conspiracy theories, thereby damaging "the most important control instrument of parliament." Wotschke stated, "A parliamentary inquiry is not a true-crime podcast, but must serve to clarify mismanagement in administration and political responsibility." The clarification of the cause of death, she added, falls under the purview of the criminal police and public prosecutor's office, with the inquiry's focus remaining on political accountability.

From the NEOS' perspective, the inquiry has already revealed potential improvements in the executive branch's operations. Wotschke noted a "structural problem" in how crime scene work is handled, with responsibility being shifted between authorities lacking clear competencies. She also pointed to an "enormous number of directives and regulations" that complicate police work and contribute to errors, advocating for better quality assurance and clearer structures within the executive. The party also wished to investigate the "System Pilnacek" more closely to clarify allegations of political influence on the judiciary, particularly concerning claims made by Christian Pilnacek himself in the "Pilnacek tape."