"Not the best look"

Posts and cost issues: MCI mystery never ends

The MCI can't get out of the headlines.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

The Tyrolean opposition has identified a skewed view of the appointments to the provincial audit office, which is supposed to shed light on the MCI new-build disaster. The question of costs is still unclear: which is cheaper?

The many years, almost decades, of permanent waste of taxpayers' money in the case of the new MCI building must finally be investigated and finally cleared up: "The Court of Audit also needs suitable personnel for this," says Evelyn Achhorner, deputy chairwoman of the FPÖ in the Tyrolean state parliament.

In a personal conversation, however, the Director of the Court of Audit assured me that it is a personal concern of hers to maintain the integrity of the State Court of Audit.

Evelyn Achhorner, stv. Klubobfrau der FPÖ im Tiroler Landtag

"Not the best optics"
She takes a critical view of the appointment of a former employee at MCI Project Development as the current auditor of the State Court of Audit: the optics are not the best. "In a personal conversation, however, the Director of the Court of Audit assured me that it is a personal concern of hers to maintain the integrity of the State Court of Audit and that employees will therefore certainly not be entrusted with auditing projects that they are personally familiar with," says Achhorner, describing the content of the personal exchange with the Director. Her integrity and professional competence are undisputed.

The ÖH MCI is also surprised by the personnel decision, but at the same time expresses its trust in the independent control of the Court of Audit: "We as ÖH now hope that transparency will soon be brought to the endless political failures surrounding the new MCI building," says Chairman Julian Pfurtscheller.

It is now clear once again that implementation would have been possible for much less money.

Neos-LA Susanna Riedlsperger

Bild: Christof Birbaumer

"Prove why renovation is cheaper"
The rejection of the new MCI building was - as reported - based on an alleged cost explosion of up to 300 million euros. "They acted like a targeted smoke grenade to torpedo the new building," says Neos-LA Susanna Riedlsperger. "Now it is becoming clear once again that implementation would have been possible for much less money. How can there be such a discrepancy in costs? This absolutely must be clarified - also with regard to the now planned renovation," emphasizes Riedlsperger.

If the new building is rejected as unaffordable, it must be comprehensible why an alternative renovation should be cheaper in the short, medium and long term.

Philip Wohlgemuth (SPÖ), who is now responsible for the project, should rely on experts from the construction industry instead of legal advisors from the state. "The offer of cooperation has been on the table since 13 January," says Riedlsperger.