Details of the Arrest
Kika Manager: Investigators Disguised as Hikers
The Vienna Public Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) has charged the former managing director of Kika/Leiner with aggravated fraud and fraudulent bankruptcy. The man is currently in pretrial detention in Vienna. His arrest in the midst of Styria’s picturesque landscape must have been quite an adventure.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen August 28 was partly cloudy and very warm in the Ennstal valley in Styria—perfect for a hike, as former Kika/Leiner managing director Hermann W. agreed. He had arranged to go on a mountain hike with friends.
On the way down, they ran into other hikers: “How much further is it to the lake?” the hikers reportedly asked. “About 30 minutes,” replied the family man, who was still oblivious to what was about to happen. The next sentence threw him off balance: “Are you Mr. W.? You’re under arrest,” said one of the investigators. They had apparently been posing as hikers.
My client tried to save the company with this promotional campaign. In the end, all advance payments were deposited into separate accounts.
Rechtsanwalt Sascha Flatz
Flood Victims Now Also Victims of Fraud?
As reported, the WKStA is investigating the Styrian man on suspicion of aggravated fraud and fraudulent bankruptcy.
He is alleged to have deceived more than 4,700 customers with the “2024 Severe Weather Emergency Relief Campaign” by offering them a 20-percent discount on furniture purchases and collecting down payments for products that could never be delivered. The losses are said to amount to more than 15 million euros.
Arrest following days of surveillance
Vienna-based attorney Sascha Flatz, who represents W. alongside attorney Gerhard Podovsovnik, rejects the allegations: “He tried to save the company with this promotional campaign. In the end, all down payments were deposited into segregated accounts.” Flatz considers the spectacular arrest—which apparently took place after days of surveillance—to be excessive. The same goes for the pretrial detention order.
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