Causa Wien Energie – Ludwig now wants to know from the city’s audit office

According to the municipal constitution, the city’s audit office must investigate the transactions of the energy company, part of Wiener Stadtwerke, on the energy exchanges in the period 2018 to 2022. The auditors must look at what kind of transactions have been made on the energy exchanges, what the volumes were, what the amounts of collateral for the transactions were and what the balance sheets look like.

Risk management needs to be monitored
In addition, Wien Energie’s risk management system in connection with transactions on energy exchanges will be further examined. And it must be investigated whether there is a reporting system on the transactions on the exchanges within the municipal utility company and how this is set up. It should also be checked whether the relevant requirements have been met and whether the reports were sufficiently meaningful in this regard.

Ludwig also wants to know from the City Criminal Investigation Department whether Wien Energie has complied with the speculation ban and whether the company has mechanisms in place to prevent speculation in connection with transactions on energy exchanges. The request also mentions the need to clarify the extent to which Wien Energie’s trading activities support security of supply in the federal capital.

Liberals reported mayors
The FPÖ in Vienna filed a “statement of fact and criminal complaint” against Mayor Ludwig (SPÖ) at the prosecutor’s office on Thursday. According to the liberal party chairman Dominik Nepp, Ludwig committed abuse of office in the case of Wien Energie. In his opinion, Ludwig broke the city constitution by exercising his emergency powers in July.