100 defendants

Tyrolean house builders sentenced for illegal payments

After tax-saving construction activities, a veritable monster trial started on Wednesday at the Innsbruck provincial court. Eleven of a total of 100 house builders have already been sentenced.

They are civil servants, company directors or ordinary workers - and most of them have never had anything to do with the justice system. But on Wednesday, the first eleven of a total of 100 house builders had to stand trial in Innsbruck as contributors to botched work. Their fate was the widespread belief that illegal payments in the construction sector are normal.

In terms of the number of defendants, it was the start of the largest trial ever to be heard in Tyrol.

On average, 15,000 to 25,000 euros were paid illegally by the individual house builders.

Staatsanwalt Hannes Wandl

USB stick with records found
The case was triggered by a complaint from a former employee and a financial audit at a Tyrolean construction company. During a house search, a USB stick with records of the tax-saving cash flows, including customer names, was finally found. "On average, 15,000 to 25,000 euros were paid illegally by the individual house builders," explained public prosecutor Hannes Wandl.

Not only is a total of 3.5 million euros said to have been evaded, but the health insurance fund was also defrauded of a high six-figure sum. The building contractor, who will probably have to stand trial in October and, according to his lawyer, has made good the entire loss, had also paid wages, overtime and bonuses with the illicit money.

Judge Norbert Hofer is presiding over the monster trial.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Lenient fines imposed
The eight men and three women, aged between 30 and 70, were threatened with a fine twice as high as the amount they had evaded at the trial, which was held in camera. However, the panel of lay judges led by Judge Norbert Hofer was lenient due to the integrity and confessions of all those involved.

On average, fines of 1500 euros were imposed. Some got off even cheaper because it was only an attempt. Two defendants only had to pay 600 euros each. They are a married couple. The sentences are already legally binding.