VIENNA, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Austrian government's criminal complaint against Airbus over the purchase of its Eurofighter jets received a boost on Thursday, with the public prosecutor's office in Vienna announcing it would initiate an investigation on the grounds of suspicion of fraud.
The Krone newspaper quoted Minister of Defence Hans Peter Doskozil as saying the prosecutor's office is now on the trail of the same suspicions his ministry had first put forward, and that it is a validation of the ministry's approach.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern has also called for a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the matter, indicating an advancement of Austrian efforts to recoup damages incurred totalling 1.1 billion euros (1.16 billion U.S. dollars).
Documented allegations and evidence against Airbus have not been officially revealed yet, though the complaint centres around claims of willful deception, including in the final cost of the aircraft.
