The former general manager of the Corona Financing Agency (COFAG) Bernhard Perner defended the facility and his person on Wednesday. In the ÖVP’s corruption investigation committee, he said that COFAG was fraud-resistant and had several control mechanisms.
There was also an automated pre-check using algorithms. Subsequently, the applications were approved according to the four-eyes principle. Bernhard Perner praised the cost of financing for every euro allocated for financing. At peak times, COFAF processed 100,000 applications per month. The 43-year-old former director was responsible for paying out around 17 billion euros at the end of June.
Just a side job?
He was and is accused of only managing the money part-time. That Perner had several jobs at the same time was also picked up by the committee of inquiry. According to Perner, being the sole managing director of COFAG parent company ABBAG and at the same time in the Cabinet of the Minister of Finance “was possible and good in terms of synergies, because my areas of responsibility largely overlapped. .” The fact that he was also an ÖBAG authorized signatory has been lost partly due to these synergies.
No party membership
As for his person, the ex-COFAG director said he had worked for four ÖVP ministers in the past four years without corresponding party membership. “One might assume that a career like mine is only possible with party membership. It is not like that. I am not a party member and I was not in a student association.” He deeply believed that his career was based on qualifications and achievements. Prior to joining the Treasury Department, Perner was a consultant in the financial sector and had worked in Germany and Asia.
The federal government’s Covid-19 funding agency and parent company ABBAG are still keeping MPs busy all day. Wolfgang Nolz, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ABBAG, is invited to Perner.
Representatives of the Court had criticized COFAG and Perner in a report. There was a “significant potential for over-funding” with the Corona support and the management and control bodies were not well staffed.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
