Front companies, expensive cars for relatives, a plasterer delivered the food for the children. And the responsible MA 10 has not noticed it for years. Apparently many millions of taxpayers’ money have sunk into a seedy kindergarten club in Vienna, the city’s audit office has now revealed. Now it is the turn of the judiciary.
“Creating ideal conditions for everyone is my dream, I work on it every day,” writes the president of the association Minibambini (ten kindergartens in Vienna, 800 children in care) on its website. This is probably especially true of her family environment.
From 2019 to 2021, the “family business” collected more than 15 million euros in tax money from the city of Vienna. In any case, part would have crept into a dubious network, according to the municipal audit office. Another part was spent on luxury cars and even traffic fines from the clan. The ÖVP and the Greens speak of embezzlement and systematic abuse.
To understand: president, secretary (her ex-husband) and cashier (daughter of the president) form the board of the association. In addition, the chairman’s son works as an in-house technician at Minibambini, the daughter-in-law is a location manager and the son-in-law is an assistant to the management.
Here’s what the test report reveals:
- “Business in itself”: Lavish payments flowed to family members outside of annual wages. Supposedly all “loans”. However, the accountants could not find any refunds (“unclear accounting”). In addition, the chairman and cashier rented premises and sold inventory to the association for a lot of money. So practically on your own.
- More than four million euros in cash (!) went to various construction companies. The Treasury Department exposed most of them as front companies. A special treat: a plasterer and a plasterboard holder were given catering assignments. On paper, they provided the children with food. They had no authority to do that. The construction companies are now bankrupt.
- Expensive BMWs were rented out to relatives, even fines paid from the club coffers.
The city submitted the report to the judiciary and claimed back a subsidy of 125,000 euros as a first step. The Minibambini association denies the allegations. “The courts must now determine whether there is illegal behavior,” says the office of alderman Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) of Education.
Nothing will change for the affected children and parents for the time being. You don’t have to look for a new place.
MA 10 has set up an information hotline for questions: 01/277 55 55.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
