"House builder trial"

Building contractor narrowly avoids imprisonment

The former building contractor had to sit before a panel of lay judges led by Judge Norbert Hofer.

(Bild: Markus Stegmayr, Krone KREATIV)

It was a case of serious fraud, tax evasion, falsification of evidence and illegal payments! After "tax-saving" construction activities, a veritable monster trial ended on Wednesday at Innsbruck Regional Court with the conviction of the ex-boss.

In terms of the number of defendants, it was the largest trial ever heard in Tyrol. The ex-head of a construction company and 100 house builders were charged with working together in a "tax-efficient manner". "On average, 15,000 to 25,000 euros each were paid illegally," explained the public prosecutor at the start of the monster trial in August. Since then, the house builders have received fairly lenient fines of between 600 and 2000 euros.

Trial in camera
On Wednesday, the former building contractor then had to answer to a senate of lay judges for tax evasion of around 3.5 million euros and serious fraud. "You confessed and showed responsibility afterwards," said Judge Norbert Hofer. The defendant had already paid the total loss before the trial - which took place in camera.

Verdict not yet final
Sentence for the Tyrolean: nine months' conditional imprisonment and half of the 800,000 euros conditional for his financial offenses, plus 18 months' conditional imprisonment and a fine of 2700 euros for the serious fraud and falsification of evidence. Not legally binding.

Penalty for the company
A fine of 150,000 euros and a fine of 7,000 euros were imposed on the GmbH. However, this no longer applies to the defendant, as his company has already been swallowed up by another company.