OMV headquarters, in Vienna. Credit: Roland Schlager / Water / Profimedia
The Austrian Petroleum and Gas Group OMV fired an employee due to spy accusations for Russia, and a Russian diplomat was called to the Vienna Foreign Ministry as a result, the news magazine reported, according to Reuters.
The Austrian magazine reported that the employee in question has drawn attention through meetings with a Russian diplomat suspected of Western information services that he would be an agent of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
According to the profile, the Austrian Security and Intelligence Directorate monitored the employee for several months, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed.
OMV told Reuters that it has terminated the contract of the employee with immediate effect and that the company cooperates fully with the competent authorities.
“For reasons related to data protection, we cannot comment on additional details on individual work relationships,” said an OMV spokesman.
The Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has told Reuters that it is aware of the charges and criminal proceedings against a Russian diplomat.
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The business charge of the Russian Embassy in Vienna was summoned to the Austrian Foreign Ministry and was asked to raise the diplomat's immunity.
“Otherwise, it would have been considered persona non grata and should leave Austria,” the Ministry for Reuters explained.
According to the article in the profile magazine, the OMV employee had been temporarily detached at Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), the Petroleum Company of the Emirate Abu Dhabi, which holds a 25% stake in OMV.
Adnoc and OMV are about to merge their Borouge and Borealis polyolephine business to create a force in the field of chemicals with a commercial value of $ 60 billion.
The magazine reported that the OMV employee had information about both companies and informed the Russian diplomat during the Vienna meetings.
