Wirtschaftsbund affair

WKStA brings charges against former provincial councillor Rüdisser

The WKStA is bringing charges against the former Vorarlberg governor and former regional councillor for economic affairs Karlheinz Rüdisser (photo).

(Bild: APA/Dietmar Stiplovsek)

For around two and a half years, the Vorarlberg Economic Association affair has kept the local judiciary busy. Now the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) is bringing charges against the former Vorarlberg state governor and former state councillor for economic affairs Karlheinz Rüdisser (ÖVP) and three other people.

 

Rüdisser is alleged to have agreed with the defendants in their function as responsible persons of the Wirtschaftsbund that the ÖVP sub-organization would cover the costs of Christmas parties and his farewell dinner in the years 2013 to 2019. Specifically, the charges are breach of trust and accepting benefits for the purpose of influencing or granting benefits for the purpose of influencing. The sentence is up to three years.

In his function as provincial governor and councillor for economic affairs, Rüdisser is alleged to have "intentionally agreed the granting of benefits relevant under corruption law with those responsible at the Vorarlberg Economic Association", thereby allowing himself to be influenced in his work as a public official and subsequently accepting these benefits, according to the charge.

Application for the imposition of an association fine
In addition, an application was made to impose a fine on the Vorarlberg Business Association for granting benefits to influence. Investigations into further allegations against Rüdisser and the other three individuals and the Wirtschaftsbund in connection with benefits were discontinued. This was announced by the WKStA in a press release on Monday.

Exterior view of the headquarters of the Vorarlberg Economic Association in Feldkirch

(Bild: APA/Dietmar Stiplovsek)

Proceedings against the governor discontinued
The investigation proceedings against Governor Markus Wallner (ÖVP) and the previous State Councillor for Economic Affairs Marco Tittler (ÖVP) had already been closed in June last year. The allegations against the two politicians had not been substantiated.

The investigations against the ÖVP sub-organization Wirtschaftsbund Vorarlberg go back to a tax audit of the Vorarlberg Economic Association that became known in spring 2022. In the course of the audit, both the then head of the Wirtschaftsbund and President of the Chamber of Commerce, Hans Peter Metzler, and the then Director of the Wirtschaftsbund, Jürgen Kessler, resigned.

Wirtschaftsbund filed a voluntary report
The other defendant is likely to be Kessler's predecessor Walter Natter. The Wirtschaftsbund had filed a voluntary disclosure in connection with the tax audit, justifying itself by claiming to have "overlooked" a new legal situation, while the auditors, on the other hand, saw intentional evasion.

As a result of the tax audit, which lasted more than eight months and primarily dealt with the levies for advertisements sold for the publication "Vorarlberger Wirtschaft", the organization had to pay around 484,000 euros in VAT, 388,000 euros in corporation tax and around 106,000 euros in donation tax for the years 2016 to 2021, which the Wirtschaftsbund partially contested.