Investigations

Blackmail attempt against Wels municipal director

The public prosecutor's office in Wels is currently investigating an employee of Wels City Council who is alleged to have attempted to blackmail City Council Director Peter Franzmayr. A spokeswoman confirmed a corresponding online report by "SN". The suspect has already been released from duty.

According to the report, the municipal director received an anonymous email at the end of September claiming to have compromising image and video material of him. The unknown person had demanded a promotion for one named person and four other members of staff or the conversion of his contract into a civil servant's contract, otherwise he threatened to publish the material.

Immediate report
The matter was "reported immediately", Mayor Andreas Rabl (FPÖ) announced in a statement on Monday. "Neither the city of Wels nor its managers are susceptible to blackmail," it continued in a joint statement with the municipal director.

"The incident is all the more regrettable as the urgent suspicion is directed against an employee of the municipal administration," said Franzmayr. The e-mail in question was probably sent in encrypted form via a Japanese server, but the suspected author could still be traced.

House search
The public prosecutor's office ordered a search of the person's home and workplace on October 22, according to the authorities' spokesperson. All data carriers were seized.

An investigation into attempted aggravated coercion, attempted blackmail and attempted determination to abuse public office is ongoing.

Alcohol problems
According to the public prosecutor's office, the accused has already been questioned. He is said to have stated that he could no longer remember the email and referred to his alcohol problem. However, he apparently does not deny that the letter was sent from his work email account.