Jailed former MEP Ernst Strasser to be released from prison, put under house arrest

Former Austrian Minister of the Interior and Member of European Parliament Ernst Strasser who was jailed on corruption charges will be released in June but will remain under house arrest, it was confirmed Wednesday.

Strasser was imprisoned since autumn 2014 over accepting payments in exchange for proposing amendments in the EU parliament.

Authorities from the penitentiary where he is incarcerated confirmed that he did not commit any offences during his jail time, Austrian news channel ORF reported.

He does not present any danger, but as per protocol, his case has been subject to considerable review. As part of the conditions for his house arrest, Strasser will need to live in a suitable apartment, with the approval of others who live in the same abode, as well as maintain employment. He will also be required to wear an ankle monitor.

Strasser was already a day-release prisoner eight weeks into his jail term, during which time he worked for a consulting company. He was required to return to the penal institution in the evening.

Further to the house arrest, the former MEP will be eligible for conditional release after 1.5 years from the beginning of the sentence, when half of it will have been served.

Strasser will also be much better off financially after he is released in June, as during his day-release work he only received as much income as other inmates would for work, with the rest going to the federal government. Under his house arrest conditions, he will be able to negotiate his own contract with the company. Endit