Criticism of Zadic

Pilnacek report: “Black day” for transparency

Alma Zadić (right) had entire pages of the Pilnacek report blacked out. What happened in the Black Camel is secret.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA, Abschlussbericht/Untersuchungskommission)

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Justice published the report of the investigative commission that looked into possible political influence during the term of office of the deceased former head of section Christian Pilnacek. The 230-page report has been partially redacted on the grounds of privacy.

15 pages are completely blacked out. Not just individual passages or words, but the entire page. For example, page 165 of the commission of inquiry report.

What happened in the Black Camel?
Only two text modules escaped the redaction of Green Justice Minister Alma Zadić: In the Black Camel and "in April 2012". Background information: The Schwarze Kameel in Vienna's city center was for many years the favorite bar of the late justice section head Christian Pilnacek. What happened in the no-tell bar is apparently classified information.

What happened in the Schwarzes Kameel is a secret.(Bild: Abschlussbericht/Untersuchungskommission)

Massive criticism of Zadic
However, a passage about the death of the former section head was also made unrecognizable. Judicial files on specific cases were extensively concealed. The redactions on behalf of a Green minister are causing criticism - because the Greens stand for transparency.

The past 13 years were the focus of the commission of inquiry. It found many anomalies, for example in the Telekom scandal. Here, the commission writes: "The case impressively shows how in a closed system (...) not insignificant suspicions against a high-ranking representative of the judiciary are not investigated further, but the proceedings are closed as 'silently' as possible."

Viewable online
The full text of the commission of inquiry was not immediately presented, which led to criticism from the opposition. The document has since been published online on the Ministry of Justice's website.