Corruption scandal in the Wirtschaftsbund: judgments shock Vorarlberg!

Corruption scandal in the Wirtschaftsbund: judgments shock Vorarlberg!

In the scandal around the Vorarlberg Wirtschaftsbund, four defendants, including the former state governor Karlheinz Rüdisser (ÖVP), were guilty at the Feldkirch regional court. As Kleine Zeitung , the defendants were sentenced and finished by fines: Rüdisser was punished with 27,500 euros, while his colleagues Hans Peter Metzler, Jürgen Kessler and Walter Natter received punishments between 10,000 and 15,000 euros. Interestingly, however, the allegation of infidelity against them was dropped.

corruption in the business association

The negotiations were about the payment of Christmas dinner from 2013 to 2019, which the Economic Association for Rüdisser and its employees had taken over. This connection led to a dependency relationship, which met the criminal offense of the benefit acceptance, as the judge noted. "The payment of these festivities created an impact on the official decisions," said the judge. According to OTS Michael Fürtbauer, chairman of the freedom of the economy, expressed dissatisfaction with the state in the business association and called for a comprehensive reform Control mechanisms. He criticized the use of the funds for luxurious expenses and asked for a reduction in chamber contributions, which should be possible due to the large reserves of the business association.

The accused have already appealed, which means that the judgments are not yet final. While the opposition in the Vorarlberg state parliament emphasizes the need for political processing, critics fear that the ÖVP could block any control over these practices for political reasons. The upcoming votes on the strengthening of the control rights will be decisive here.