Card gifts

No charges against the mayor of Innsbruck

Mayor of Innsbruck Johannes Anzengruber

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer/Krone KREATIV)

The Public Prosecutor's Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption (WKStA) has closed an investigation against Innsbruck's mayor Johannes Anzengruber (JA) in the "Erlebnis Cards Tirol" case on suspicion of giving and accepting benefits. The decision was made on the basis of evidence.

No evidence of a connection between the handover of the leisure cards and a specific official transaction had been provided. The suspension had therefore already taken place on July 10. Mayor Anzengruber had recently expressed his conviction in the spring in the run-up to the Innsbruck municipal council and mayoral elections that there was "nothing to the story". Even in the event of an indictment, he was not thinking of drawing political consequences, he said. In the run-off election, Anzengruber finally prevailed against incumbent Georg Willi (Greens) and became the new mayor.

There is nothing to the story.

Johannes Anzengruber im Vorfeld der Innsbrucker Gemeinderats- und Bürgermeisterdirektwahl

At the end of the previous year, the Public Prosecutor's Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption had opened an investigation against the then deputy mayor of Innsbruck and another person after the case had been handed over to it by the Innsbruck Public Prosecutor's Office. Anzengruber had distributed around 1,100 so-called "Erlebnis Cards Tirol", which offered various discounts for leisure activities in Tyrol, from the company digital solutions GmbH to members of the Innsbruck fire department and the staff of a care home. The cards were also given to other blue light organizations and all of the approximately 1,400 employees of Innsbruck's social services.

I am happy to give you a card with which you can experience the many different sporting, culinary, tourist and cultural adventures until the end of the year.

Der damalige Vizebürgermeister Johannes Anzengruber

The former city vice president saw nothing reprehensible in this, on the contrary. He welcomed the investigations and emphasized that he had only acted as an intermediary and that the tickets had not been given to the city or to him personally. However, in an accompanying letter to some of the recipients, the deputy mayor was quoted as follows, casting doubt on his role as an intermediary: "I am happy to give you a card that will allow you to experience the many different sporting, culinary, tourist and cultural adventures until the end of the year."

Focus on business
The focus was also on business between the Anzengruber resort at the time and the company. According to the city of Innsbruck, there were "not insignificant business relationships". The company had developed an app for the city. Orders for app modules totaling 47,000 euros had been placed with the company, but the individual invoices remained below the limit of 25,000 euros required by the city senate, the city referred to a survey by the municipal directorate.

Although the City of Innsbruck was listed as the responsible party in the app, the offices responsible for data protection, personnel development and citizen services were not aware of the application. The app was taken offline because an audit revealed shortcomings with regard to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).