Doskozil calls report on money transfers before Commerzialbank lock "lie"

According to "Kurier", the Burgenland regional management is said to have fixed another 1.2 million euros. The RMB denies that the ÖVP is threatening a committee of inquiry

The Burgenland Governor Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) at a press conference on the developments in connection with the Commerzialbank Mattersburg.

Foto: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER

Shortly before the commercial bank closed, 1.2 million euros are said to have been withdrawn in the middle of the night. The opposition finds this very suspicious.

Photo: APA / ROBERT JAEGER

Burgenland has had a very turbulent weekend behind it and turbulent weeks or months ahead of it. On Saturday, the red Social and Economic Councilor Christian Illedits resigned because of forbidden gift acceptance. On Sunday, "courier" researches became known, according to which the state-owned Regionalmanagement Burgenland GmbH (RMB) had fixed 1.2 million shortly before the bank was closed.

The suspicion was that an insider had informed the regional managers in advance. A suspicion that the Burgenland Greens raised in politics on Sunday. Country spokeswoman Regina Petrik: "This raises several questions: Is it common for such large sums of money to be withdrawn from the RMB in the middle of the night? Was there a tip from the bank about the imminent official closure? And, if so, who has it Tip received in the RMB? "

RMB denies withdrawing funds
ÖVP boss Christian Sagartz formulated five questions or demands on Monday that want to make the country responsible in the form of the single SPÖ government in office since February. The fifth requirement is: "Disclosure of all companies and institutions in the area around the country that made transfers in the last few days and hours before the commercial bank was closed." If there is no or insufficient answer, a committee of inquiry will be set up.

The RMB has of course denied that money was quickly withdrawn from the account at the commercial bank. There were almost 1.4 million lying there. And they would still be there. 100,000 euros from the deposit protection have already been received. The rest is lost.

The governor, Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ), raised another suspicion at his press conference on Monday. 25 hours before the shutdown there were "shifts of money amounting to five to ten million". "A Burgenland journalist," said the governor, "tried to fix it".

In general, Doskozil brought out a media scolding, especially towards the "courier". Because the editors there would have simply made allegations without asking the RMB. "They're untrue, that's a lie." On the other hand, it is always left uncommented that the head of a huge construction company ("I don't say a name") donated a million to the ÖVP, KTM 470,000, the Wirecard founder 70,000.

Urgent request
In Burgenland, announced the governor, a law will now be introduced that will forbid political parties from accepting corporate donations at all. "We want to get away from the Austrian money nobility keeping a system."

The opposition has already convened a special state parliament to answer an urgent request to State Councilor Illedits. After his resignation, says the governor, the special state parliament will still take place next week. "The urgent one will probably be formulated to someone else." The senior civil servant Sonja Windisch will take over the resigned person's agendas on an interim basis. A successor is to be presented next week. And if the special state parliament delivers no or unsatisfactory answers, VP boss Sagartz announces the establishment of a committee of inquiry.