Berlin-The private detective who allegedly masterminded a video that led to the downfall of the Austrian government in 2019 has been arrested in Berlin, according to Austrian newspaper Die Presse.
Berlin police reportedly arrested the man – identified only as Julian H. – on Thursday under a European warrant for cladestinly recording and video taping people as well as dealing cocaine. Romanian police had tipped off police in Berlin, Die Presse reported. The suspect's attorney is based in Germany's capital.
A video taken in an Ibiza villa in 2017 showed Heinz-Christian Strache, who would later become Austria's vice chancellor under the FPÖ, meeting with a supposed Russian oligarch. The pair discussed donations to Strache's right-leaning party in connection with major contracts, raising the spectre of corruption.
The video was first released by Der Spiegel and Süddeutsche Zeitung.
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Strache resigned in 2019, sparking the collapse of a coalition government led by Sebastian Kurz, who is once again Austria's chancellor. Strache has denied the allegations.
Julian H. disappeared after being suspected of concoting the video, in which the villa was bugged and equipped with hidden video cameras. He has also been charged with dealing cocaine together with Slaven K., his accomplice in the Ibiza video.
Slaven was was sentenced in September to three years for dealing. Both have acted as informants to police, according to Zeit Online.