Lech-Oberlech mountain railroad

The “Zipfelbob affair” enters the next round

Lech is always good for a story. This time, the Lech-Oberlech mountain railroad has taken on the leading role.

(Bild: Bergbahnen Oberlech)

Public exchange of blows between the accused employees and those responsible at the Lech-Oberlech mountain railroad. Around 370,000 euros are said to have been embezzled.

The Lech "Zipfelbob affair" became public knowledge on 14 May 2024. In a press release, those responsible at Bergbahn Lech-Oberlech announced that twelve employees, some of them former, were suspected of tax evasion and embezzlement. Specifically, they are alleged to have pocketed income from the rental of Zipfelbobs. "For reasons of transparency and to avoid any appearance of a cover-up, the company has decided to inform the public promptly and actively about these facts," said those responsible at the mountain railroads on Saturday.

A day earlier, four employees had spoken out through their lawyers and vehemently denied the allegations of having embezzled around 370,000 euros. The management of the mountain railroads had already allowed the rental of Zipfel bobsleighs in the 1980s. Some of the employees had bought the bobsleighs with their own money and made them available.

Nothing more than a protective claim, the employers now believe. "The allegation that employees were permitted to operate the bobsleigh rental on their own account is contrived. This assessment is also clearly denied by a former company manager," it said in a statement on Saturday. In addition, the minutes of the voluntary interviews, which were signed by the employees, show a completely different picture. "They admitted that they were aware of the fact that these were illegal transactions that bypassed the company and were not legal." The ball is now in the court of the tax office and the public prosecutor's office. There seems to be no end in sight to the Zipfelbob affair.