"Obstructs clarification"

Refusal to provide sub-committee files: ÖVP attacks Zadic

ÖVP politician Andreas Hanger lashes out at the Minister of Justice.(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER, APA/EVA MANHART, Krone KREATIV)

The ÖVP wanted to be provided with files on the Styrian FPÖ financial affair for its sub-committee on the "red-blue abuse of power". However, this request was rejected by the justice department. The People's Party is now accusing Minister Alma Zadic (Greens) of obstructing the investigation.

Even before the questioning of the investigative committees has begun, there is a dispute between the coalition partners. Andreas Hanger, leader of the ÖVP parliamentary group on the inquiry committee, has harsh words for the Minister of Justice for refusing to deliver the files. She should "not allow herself to be used by FPÖ leader Kickl to sweep the internal party financial scandal surrounding Mario Kunasek under the carpet for personal gain", said Hanger in a press release. He accused Zadic of obstructing parliament's investigative work by refusing to do so.

ÖVP politician Andreas Hanger lashes out at the Justice Minister.(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER, APA/EVA MANHART, Krone KREATIV)

Reasons given for refusal
Plausible reasons were given as to why the ÖVP's request was not fulfilled: The subject matter of the investigation did not include the files that "exclusively concerned actions by state and municipal bodies", it said in a letter to the chairman of the U Committee, National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP).

The People's Party attacked Justice Minister Zadic for refusing to provide documents.(Bild: APA/Eva Manhart)

However, the subject of the investigation "red-blue abuse of power" is clearly limited to people from the SPÖ and FPÖ who were in the federal government or subordinates of it, according to the explanatory statement. The Ministry of Justice also raised constitutional concerns regarding the requested delivery of files.

Applications to the U-Committee deal with the Constitutional Court
This concerns the question of whether natural or legal persons close to the SPÖ or the FPÖ were given preferential treatment by the Covid financing agency COFAG "for unobjective reasons". Two applications are currently pending before the Constitutional Court (VfGH) on this issue. With regard to the requested files and documents, the justice department therefore feels compelled to "await the decisions of the Constitutional Court", as stated in the letter to Sobotka.

ÖVP politician Hanger does not want to accept this. He called on Minister Zadic to "put her foot down and make the necessary files available to Parliament". The FPÖ financial scandal ultimately involved several million euros in damages due to "systematic misuse of funding, dubious association structures and the shifting of money flows into private pockets".

Broad topic, long period of time
The U-Committee on the "red-blue abuse of power" is supported by the People's Party alone. The aim is to clarify whether public funds were used improperly between 2007 and 2020 by SPÖ or FPÖ government members or subordinate employees for improper motives.