Duty violated

Cobra affair surrounding Chancellor: fine for civil servant

In the Cobra affair involving two bodyguards of Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), the abuse of office investigations against him - concerning allegations of intervention - were dropped last year. However, one of the two officials involved has now been sentenced to a fine of 6000 euros in disciplinary proceedings.

According to a report in the "Presse", the federal disciplinary authority had to clarify whether the bodyguard had breached his official duties. He had caused a fender bender with his company car after consuming several alcoholic drinks with the Chancellor's family. An alcohol level of 0.60 mg/l (1.2 per mille blood alcohol) was determined.

Driving license revoked for six months
The man's driving license was revoked for almost six months and he was sentenced to a fine of 1,200 euros in administrative criminal proceedings. Before the federal disciplinary authority, the police officer, who is no longer with Cobra, confessed and was remorseful. According to the authority, the man had violated his official duties. Civil servants are obliged to take into account in their conduct that the trust of the general public in the proper performance of their official duties is maintained.

The authority considered the most serious breach of official duty to be driving the vehicle under the influence of alcohol. A penalty had to be imposed here for general preventative reasons in order to make it clear "that drinking and driving is not tolerated". However, the officer was remorseful, had confessed, had no disciplinary record and had an excellent service record. Therefore, the fine of 6,000 euros was "appropriate to the offense and guilt".