According to the Court of Auditors, an association that manages kindergartens in western Vienna is said to have embezzled taxpayers’ money on a large scale. Now a former kindergarten director is making serious accusations against the authorities. Although grievances would have been known, they would not have responded for a long time. The big question is also: where have all those millions gone?
Bang in the crime thriller about Minibambini – the association is suspected of subsidy abuse. A former kindergarten director has reported to the “Krone” and is making serious accusations against two town hall offices. A year ago she reported abuses to MA 10 (kigas) and MA 11 (youth care agency). Emails confirm this.
For example, it says: Children would be kept on lists who never went to kindergarten to collect grants. Service times would have been falsified to mislead the tax authorities. The catering contracts with construction companies that would have provided the toddlers with food would only have been on paper. “It was always cooked in house”. The market office explains, “All locations have kitchens.”
But instead of taking action, the magistrate informed the president of the association, which resulted in the dismissal of the administrator. The relevant services reject the allegations. “All complaints were immediately followed up. Where easily correctable shortcomings were found, rapid correction of the shortcomings was started,” says a spokesman for the councilor of education Christoph Wiederkehr.
Now the city’s Accounts Office has discovered: millions of taxpayers’ money would have sunk into a dubious network. Issued to shell companies (now insolvent) for luxury cars of the chairman’s relatives, traffic fines – and possibly a villa in Serbia. “It’s like a spa landscape,” says the former kindergarten manager. Justice is now investigating.
Despite everything, subsidies could continue to flow to Minibambini. The NEOS rejects an immediate cessation of funding, as demanded by the ÖVP. Alderman Wiederkehr: “That would be irresponsible – because then the 800 children would be without care tomorrow. We will reclaim all the money that has been used improperly.”
The current report from the Court of Auditors on the subject of kindergarten had it all. The focus is on a private operator around a “family clan” and an extremely dubious network. In the period from 2019 to 2021, approximately EUR 15 million in taxpayers’ money was misused in some cases. According to the chairman of the ÖVP state party, Karl Mahrer, people were “bewildered” at the particularly brutal case of abuse. Education spokesman Harald Zierfuss speaks of a “control error of the special class”. The People’s Party has now applied for a special city council and will file a motion of no confidence against city councilor Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS). There are “massive problems” in all his departments.
ÖVP foams: “This is a control error of the special class”
The current report from the Court of Auditors on the subject of kindergarten had it all. The focus is on a private operator around a “family clan” and an extremely dubious network. In the period from 2019 to 2021, approximately EUR 15 million in taxpayers’ money was misused in some cases. According to the chairman of the ÖVP state party, Karl Mahrer, people were “bewildered” at the particularly brutal case of abuse.
Zierfuss also speaks of a “special class control error”. The People’s Party has now applied for a special city council and will file a motion of no confidence against city councilor Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS). In all his departments there are “huge problems”.
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.
