Ex-responsible persons

After the GemNova bankruptcy, the judiciary is now investigating

Two former managers are under investigation.

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

In the case surrounding the insolvent service company of the Tyrolean Association of Municipalities, GemNova, there are now criminal investigations against two former managers. According to a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office in Innsbruck, investigations are being carried out on suspicion of fraudulent crida and grossly negligent impairment of creditor interests.

The authorities did not want to say who exactly was involved. According to APA, it is said to be the former president of the association of municipalities and long-time ÖVP politician Ernst Schöpf, who is also the current mayor of Sölden, as well as the former GemNova managing director Alois Rathgeb. According to public prosecutor's spokesperson Hansjörg Mayr, "documents were seized" at the municipal association on Monday in the case. However, it could not be described as a house search in the classic sense.

The investigations had resulted from the audit of the financial conduct of GemNova and its subsidiaries in the course of the insolvency proceedings, according to the public prosecutor's office.

Causa occupied politicians for months
The GemNova case kept Tyrolean state politicians busy for months last year. The bankruptcy was finally sealed at a mayors' conference of the association of municipalities in mid-July. The required approval of 90 percent of the 276 heads of local authorities for the increase in membership fees by 1.1 million euros was not achieved, meaning that the restructuring planned by Schöpf failed.

Schöpf ultimately withdrew from the top of the association, he also repeatedly identified and criticized a blowing up of the case, internal intrigues within the association and a media campaign against him.