Tax office Braunau: Suspends civil servants for abuse of office!

Tax office Braunau: Suspends civil servants for abuse of office!

In the context of the current corruption -sensitive debate in Austria, two high -ranking officials from the Ministry of Finance were suspended. The reason for this drastic measure is the causa around the occupation of the Braunau tax office. In this context, the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) also raised charges against the ÖVP club chairman August Wöginger, which is accused of intervening at the former chief of cabinet of the finance ministry, Thomas Schmid, in order to appoint a public transport mayor of the financial office for Braunau, Ried and Schärding, reports puls24 .

The events related to intervention are said to have already taken place in 2017 when Wöginger was already a member of the National Council. The WKStA also determines as part of the Casag process, which is closely linked to the "Ibiza scandal". Investigations are based on chats in which Schmid wrote to Wöginger: "We did it (...) The mayor owes you something!". These chats indicate that Wöginger acted as a so -called determination agent in the context of the abuse of office, explains orf .

The allegations against Wöginger and the officials

Wöginger is accused of influencing the personnel commission through his intervention, which was headed by the management of the tax office in 2017. Two officials who worked on this commission are also the focus. The suspended civil servants are accused of having preferred a less suitable candidate for party political reasons, which is considered an abuse of the authority. Both officials were charged, while Wöginger asserts his innocence and assured that he had no influence on the Commission.

The investigation illuminate a more comprehensive problem. Corruption, which is defined as an abuse of a public office, can harm trust in institutions. The international comparison of corruption perception shows that Germany took 15th place among 180 states in 2024, but the perception of corruption in public institutions is also alarming there, as Statista . In Austria and Germany, bribery and abuse of office are widespread forms of corruption that are seen as a serious problem in the political landscape.

The suspension of the civil servants and the ongoing investigations lead to an uncertain climate in the ÖVP-related environment, while the party continues to express confidence in Wöginger. If there is a conviction, the abuse of office is threatened with penalties of six months to five years in prison. The presumption of innocence remains for Wöginger and the other defendants until the final clarification of the allegations, which is of considerable interest in the future of the Austrian administration.