Because Thomas Schmid did not appear before the corruption investigation committee ÖVP, the ex-ÖBAG boss now has to pay a fine of 6,000 euros. This has been decided by the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG). Schmid’s lawyer said he wanted to appeal the decision. The fine is not yet final.
The ex-ÖBAG boss had repeatedly stayed away from the subcommittee. The fact that the former head of state now has his residence in the Netherlands is irrelevant to the BVwG. According to “Standard”, the BVwG explained that it was a “domestic situation” and that Schmid was an Austrian citizen.
Thus, living abroad does not absolve Schmid “from the obligation to provide a satisfactory excuse for his failure to appear before the Commission of Inquiry”.
Next meetings planned for September
The U-Commission is currently on hiatus. The next sessions are scheduled for September 6 and 7. According to the media, former OMV bosses Rainer Seele and Gerhard Roiss have been invited for September 7, including former OMV chairman Wolfgang Berndt. Among other things, it will also address the question of who is responsible for Austria’s dependence on Russian gas.
Source: Krone
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