Prosecutor investigates district captain – salzburg.ORF.at
The examiners had scathingly criticized the work of the Pinzgau Basic Traffic Commission. Its chairman was Gratz before he resigned from this office a few months ago. Specifically, the State Audit Office found that grassland in Pinzgau was also sold to people who are not farmers at all.
Social Democrats got things rolling
The case is also politically sensitive. The cause was set in motion by the Salzburg SPÖ with its application to the state audit office. The Social Democrats have also referred the case to the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
However, because they could not establish any initial suspicion, the issue finally ended via the senior public prosecutor’s office at the Linz public prosecutor’s office. According to insiders of the judiciary, the Salzburg prosecutor was deliberately not involved because the appearance of bias in the investigation should be avoided.
“Disregarding the rule of law”
Specifically, in addition to the Pinzgau District Governor Bernhard Gratz, WIRD is also investigating other people who are not known by name – on suspicion of abuse of office. The devastating audit report by the state audit office states that the basic traffic commission in Pinzgau “largely disregarded the principle of the rule of law” in its work.
Shortly before the report was published in February, District Governor Gratz resigned from his position as chairman of the commission. As a result, he voiced severe public criticism of the Salzburg State Audit Office and threatened legal action. The district captain emphasized that the institution of Salzburg’s administrative system, which he heads, was “insulted” by the critics.
What is the state government doing now?
There will now be no legal consequences against Gratz because of the investigations by the public prosecutor. Gratz will not be prosecuted in his function as district captain, but as ex-chairman of the basic traffic commission, says Josef Schwaiger (ÖVP), the state councilor responsible for personnel issues, basic traffic and regional planning.
What happened until now
In February 2022, the state audit office announced the official audit report on the real estate transaction commissions in Pinzgau. This would have “largely disregarded” the rule of law. There is also a lack of documentation when making decisions about land purchases.
Even the rough report of the examiners had been prepared for weeks in advance for heated debates – more on this in salzburg.ORF.at (February 24, 2022).