Five men have already been convicted of large-scale diversion of diesel and building materials during tunnel construction. Three of the suspects were back in court on Monday. They confessed.
The proceedings against three of the original six suspects had to be repeated after a ruling by the Supreme Court (OGH). Three men between the ages of 37 and 50 now had to answer for infidelity and surprisingly received a full confession.
Construction materials and diesel diverted
It involved diverting building materials and diesel fuel for the construction site, which was then illegally sold to area farmers. The damage ran into the millions. The first suspect, who had already confessed during the 2021 trial, remained responsible. His statements also led to several other suspects being convicted. However, one of the six defendants from the first trial was acquitted.
Emotional confessions
Surprisingly, the other suspects also admitted this time: “At a certain point you have to come to your senses. I lived with existential fears every day for four years,” said one of the defendants. The third defendant, who this time also traveled to Leoben with a confession in his luggage, burst into tears during the interrogation: “I’m standing by In 20 years of his entrepreneurship, he never owed anyone money. That is why he has now fully compensated the damage and paid back 567,000 euros to the damaged construction companies.
Judgments not final yet
Because of the confessions, the judge decided not to question any other witnesses. The process was completed in just two hours. Two of the men received suspended prison sentences ranging from 10 to 18 months. However, one of the three defendants received an unconditional prison sentence of three years and three months. All three accepted the verdict. The prosecutor’s office gave no explanation. The verdict is therefore not final.
Source: Krone
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