The case even involved the Federal Court of Audit, which found shortcomings. However: after the felling of a forest next to the western highway in Ohlsdorf, there are no criminal consequences against officials and unknown perpetrators. The “crown” knows why.
Salzburg prosecutors and Viennese corruption investigators took six and a half months to make their decision: There was no corruption in the case involving 19 hectares of cleared forests and the construction of the Ehrenfeld II industrial development area in Ohlsdorf.
Ricarda Eder of the Salzburg Public Prosecutor’s Office told the “Krone”: “I can confirm that the investigation against Ing. Mag. Lanz was stopped because the subjective side of the crime could not be proven.” district captain of Gmunden, Alois Lanz. With his signature in the official correspondence, he paved the way for the construction of the operational development area next to the western highway.
The Salzburg Public Prosecutor’s Office came into play here because the prosecutors from Wels had declared themselves biased. The reason for this is simple: the Wels Public Prosecutor’s Office is primarily responsible for the Gmunden District Court and therefore cooperates continuously. The matter was therefore delegated to Salzburg, where the decision has now been made.
“The crime of abuse of office requires knowledge”
Prosecutor Eder says: “As for abuse of power, the crime of abuse of office requires knowledge. The official must therefore believe that it is certain (without any doubt) that conduct is objectively unlawful. If the defendant’s legal opinion is at best incorrect, it contradicts the presumption of knowledge.”
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.
