Cases of subsidy abuse in Viennese kindergartens continue. The MA10 has revealed new cases. But they seem small compared to the Minibambini mega-scandal. Here begins a series of processes. This involves millions of taxpayers’ money.
The abuse of subsidies in private kindergartens never ends. This year alone, MA10 (Kindergarten) has terminated eight sponsoring organizations and reported them to the judiciary.
Thanks to the new, stricter controls, individual invoices are now also checked and processes and accounting are examined much more closely. What the inspectors discovered was something special: a telephone operator treated himself to a week’s holiday in Greece with taxpayer money (apologies: further training). Another bought fine specialties in the Adriadomizil Jesolo.
The eight facilities have all been or will be closed and the children will be distributed to other companies, MA10 deputy boss Kurt Burger explained to the “Krone”. The city wants one million euros back from the subsidy providers.
40 million euros for “Minibambini”
That seems manageable compared to the monster ‘Minibambini’ scandal. As a reminder, a family clan managed several locations and received 40 million euros in funding from the city. For more than ten years, no one realized that the family had probably invested a large part of the money in their luxurious life, complete with villas and expensive cars.
The city auditor exposed the scandal and the district attorney is investigating. Even before the criminal proceedings, a trial on the second Minibambini front will begin on Wednesday.
As reported, trustee Christoph Erler believes the community should have recognized the fiasco many years earlier. The city of Vienna is therefore partly responsible for the high damage (170 creditors, 16 million euros in registered claims).
The lawyer wants to sue the municipality for approximately 3.7 million euros. It all comes down to the question: did the inspectors make a mistake or perhaps even get “greased”?
“No wrongdoing detected”
Deputy department head Burger says: “I can’t put my hand in fire for anyone. But our internal audit department has not found any wrongdoing.” All (previously relatively lax) audit requirements were met.
It will be interesting to see how the judge will rule on this.
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.
