Wirtschaftsbund:

WKStA investigations are completed

The Wirtschaftsbund affair has raised many questions.

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

After almost two years of work, the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) has concluded its investigations into the Vorarlberg Wirtschaftsbund advertising affair. A preliminary report was submitted to the Vienna Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

"A few days ago, we submitted a preliminary report on this case to the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. The report concerns all parts of the investigation proceedings that have not yet been concluded. Unfortunately, I cannot disclose any details," WKStA spokesperson René Ruprecht was quoted as saying in the "VN". The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has submitted the report to the Federal Ministry of Justice. The Ministry must now give the go-ahead before it can be determined how to proceed.

Corruption investigations by the WKStA concern the former provincial economic councillor Karlheinz Rüdisser, former head of the Economic Association and former President of the Chamber of Commerce Hans Peter Metzler and Jürgen Kessler, who was employed as Director of the Economic Association under Metzler. The investigations against Governor Markus Wallner and the current State Councillor for Economic Affairs Marco Tittler had already been closed in June 2023. The allegations against the two politicians had not been substantiated.

Feldkirch public prosecutor's office is also investigating
In addition to the WKStA, the Feldkirch public prosecutor's office is also investigating the case. It is conducting investigations against Metzler and Walter Natter - Kessler's predecessor - who are accused of intentional tax evasion, among other things. The tax authorities are also investigating Kessler. These investigations are ongoing, according to Heinz Rusch, spokesman for the Feldkirch public prosecutor's office. The investigations by the public prosecutor's office are the result of a tax audit by the Vorarlberg Economic Association.

Both Metzler and Kessler resigned in the course of the audit. In connection with the tax audit, the Wirtschaftsbund had filed a voluntary disclosure and justified itself by claiming that it had "overlooked" a new legal situation, while the auditors saw intentional evasion.

Allegations of corruption
As a result of the tax audit, which lasted more than eight months and primarily dealt with the levies for advertisements sold for the publication "Vorarlberger Wirtschaft", the organization had to pay around 484,000 euros in VAT, 388,000 euros in corporation tax and around 106,000 euros in donation tax for the years 2016 to 2021, which the Wirtschaftsbund partially contested. Allegations of corruption were also raised in the course of the investigations.