Signa’s list of creditors is getting longer. Now former SPÖ chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer has also filed a claim for one million dollars in court, ‘Profil’ and ‘Süddeutsche Zeitung’ have investigated.
Through his consultancy firm and as a private individual, he has submitted claims for a total of more than 6.3 million euros, reports “Profil”.
After leaving politics in 2008, Gusenbauer joined Signa: on the one hand as a member of the advisory board of the bankrupt Signa Holding, on the other hand he is still chairman of the supervisory board of the also bankrupt companies Signa Prime Selection AG and Signa Development Selection AG.
Gusenbauer Projektentwicklung & Beteiligung GmbH & Co KG is not only on the creditor list of Signa Development AG, where Alfred Gusenbauer is chairman of the supervisory board, but also of Signa Holding.
The Alpine Creditors Association (AKV) has submitted the claims to Signa Holding on behalf of its company: It concerns two invoices submitted in July and October of this year for three million euros each. Of this, 500,000 euros would have been paid. In addition to the outstanding 5.5 million euros, AKV reported default interest of 167,331.23 euros for Gusenbauer.
As a private individual, Gusenbauer submitted a claim for 679,950 euros via the AKV. This is a collective invoice for the monthly costs from May to December and another 300,000 euros in November 2023, reported under ‘Profil’. The ex-chancellor reported a default interest of 18,408.69 euros for these outstanding debts. In return, rumors are circulating about advice on the German Galeria/Kaufhof/Karstadt and in connection with capital strengthening measures – at least the latter with little success.
Bridge financing needed
Bridging financing is required to restructure the Signa companies Signa Prime and Signa Development. The “Oberösterreichische Nachrichten” reported on Saturday that 300 to 500 million euros would be needed for Signa Prime and around 50 million euros for Signa Development.
The money must come from existing investors and fellow shareholders. In addition to Signa founder Rene Benko, there are construction contractor Hans Peter Haselsteiner, logistics entrepreneur Klaus-Michael Kühne and the Swiss Eugster family. The innovator Erhard Grossnigg, appointed as the new Signa boss, wants to raise the money in the form of a massive loan in the form of profit participation rights. Negotiations are ongoing. When asked whether Hans Peter Haselsteiner would also provide money, he replied as follows: That would be “possible if everyone agrees.”
The ex-chancellor, on the other hand, was quieter: according to “Profil”, Gusenbauer left questions about compliance problems, the services provided or the high interest on late payments unanswered.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
