Assistance in Escape for Jan Marsalek: Former FPÖ Representative Thomas S. in Court
The legal investigation into the Wirecard scandal in Austria has reached a new stage. While Jan Marsalek is believed to be in Moscow, the Vienna public prosecutor's office is now charging a prominent alleged accomplice: former FPÖ member of parliament Thomas S. is accused of facilitating the ex-manager's escape in June 2020.
Jan Marsalek is said to be living in Moscow now, where he's working closely with the Russian secret service. / Picture: © Polizeipräsidium München (Munich Police Department)
It was one of the most spectacular departures in recent economic history: on June 19, 2020, when the billion-dollar house of cards built by German payment service provider Wirecard collapsed, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jan Marsalek disappeared without a trace. While CEO Markus Braun stands trial in Munich, Marsalek's seat remains empty. But now the escape route via Austria is coming under the scrutiny of the judiciary.
The road to Belarus
Transitioning to the latest developments, according to current research by Standard and Profil, the Vienna public prosecutor's office already filed a criminal complaint against entrepreneur and former FPÖ politician Thomas S. in May 2025. The charge: aiding and abetting. S. is alleged to have played a key role in smuggling Marsalek out of the country from Bad Vöslau airport to Belarus.
Particularly explosive: according to investigation files, former head of the Department of Constitutional Protection Martin Weiss is alleged to have been involved. On the day of the escape, Weiss allegedly provided S. with a forged passport in the name of “David Iakobachvili” in order to conceal the passenger's identity for as long as possible. Ultimately, however, Marsalek flew out under his real name – accompanied by three bags that, according to witness statements, were not checked.
“Business interest” as a protective claim?
Thomas S., who has previously served time for fraud, denies the allegations. He told the Kronen Zeitung newspaper that Marsalek had only wanted to visit the hangar in Bad Vöslau. He claimed to have been unaware that Marsalek was attempting to evade justice. Legally, however, this is the crucial point: if the court proves that S. knew of the intention to flee, he faces conviction for aiding and abetting escape – defined in Austrian criminal law as aiding and abetting (§ 299 StGB).
A network of spies and helpers
The charges against S. are just one piece of the puzzle in a far-reaching complex case. At the same time, the trial against former constitutional protection officer Egisto Ott began in January 2026. He is accused of spying for Marsalek and thus indirectly for the Russian secret service FSB.
Martin Weiss is also still under investigation, but he is evading the Austrian authorities – he is currently believed to be in Dubai.
Marsalek in Moscow
While his accomplices are on trial in Vienna or wanted on international arrest warrants, Jan Marsalek is living under the protection of Russian services in Moscow, according to reports by ZDF, Spiegel, and The Insider. The trial against Thomas S. is expected to take place at the Wiener Neustadt Regional Court, with the maximum penalty for aiding and abetting escape being two years' imprisonment.
For Austrian domestic politics, the case is also a reminder of the entanglements of the Ibiza era: S. had already been targeted by investigators when they were examining whether his seat in the National Council had been bought with payments from Ukrainian oligarchs – a case that was eventually dropped.