2023-06-23 17:49:21
Next session on August 30, 2023
Vienna (OTS / RK) – Today, Friday, June 23, 2023, the Vienna City Council’s commission of inquiry into Wien Energie held its 13th meeting in the Vienna City Hall.
The non-executive city councilor Karl Mahrer (ÖVP) was the first witness to be questioned before the commission. He was asked regarding the following topics: professional positions in the last 10 years or functions at Wien Energie or Wiener Stadtwerke; Flow of information in the city senate on the business conduct of Wien Energie or Wiener Stadtwerke; Liquidity of Wien Energie or Wiener Stadtwerke as a topic in the city senate before July 15, 2022; First acknowledgment of Mayor Ludwig’s exercise of emergency powers; frequency of city senate meetings; manner of acknowledgment of the exercise of emergency competence by Mayor Ludwig; Information status of the witness regarding the meeting in the BKA (“energy summit”); state of knowledge of the witness at that time on the topics of the energy market, speculation and liquidity bottlenecks; Discussion on the subject of the energy market and Wien Energie over the course of 2022; information from the energy industry to the witness; Contents of the telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor Nehammer in relation to Wien Energie; Responsibility of the witness in the party/club on the energy market; contacts of the witness to the Ministry of Finance; Contacting Mayor Ludwig or City Councilor for Finance Hanke; Time of the first discussion with Ludwig/Hanke on the Wien Energie case; Transmissions of the witness in his function as chairman of the Viennese ÖVP; Information of the other members of the city senate by the witness, holidays of the witness in the summer of 2022.
The second witness was the non-executive city councilor Mag.a Judith Pühringer (Greens). The commission’s questions to the witness related to the following topics: professional positions in the last 10 years or positions at Wien Energie or Wiener Stadtwerke; Flow of information in the city senate on the business conduct of Wien Energie or Wiener Stadtwerke; Liquidity of Wien Energie or Wiener Stadtwerke as a topic in the city senate before July 15, 2022; First acknowledgment of Mayor Ludwig exercising emergency powers; Discussion of liquidity bottlenecks at Wien Energie with Mayor Ludwig or City Councilor Hanke between July 15 and August 30, 2022; intra-party responsibility of the witness in the area of energy policy; Perceptions regarding energy policy in 2022; availability to attend any Senate session; comprehensibility of the urgency of the situation following studying the emergency competence file; contacting other members of the city senate or green members of the federal government; Vacations of the witness in the summer of 2022.
The non-executive city councilor Dominik Nepp (FPÖ) was questioned as the third witness of the day of the meeting. He gave the Commission information on the following matters: personal, professional career in the last ten years; possible past functions at Wiener Stadtwerke or Wien Energie; time of knowledge regarding the exercise of the emergency competence; any discussions in the city senate regarding the energy supply situation in the past; belonging to the city senate; reminder of questions on the business conduct of Stadtwerke and Wien Energie in the city senate; any personal responsibilities in the city senate; time and duration of personal vacation in summer 2022; possible availability if a spontaneous city senate meeting is called in summer 2022; perception of crisis management by the federal government or the city of Vienna in the given case; Knowledge of committee competencies and deadlines; personaly thinking; Information regarding loan commitment fees; different information levels of the members of the city senate; possible contacts of other city senate members; attending the City Senate meeting on September 13, 2022; Time of contact by City Councilor Karl Mahrer (ÖVP); content of the conversation; Contact with Mayor Michael Ludwig in the summer months of 2022; Attempts to make contact by other City Senate members by the end of August 2022; Coordination with other members of the city senate by mid-September 2022; Discussions in the city senate regarding the term “immediately”; Experiences regarding drawing emergency competence from the past.
As the fourth witness, the executive city councilor Peter Hacker (SPÖ) was invited to be questioned before the commission. He was asked regarding the following topics: professional functions in the last ten years; any previous functions at Wiener Stadtwerke or Wien Energie; time and duration of personal vacation in summer 2022; level of knowledge regarding the necessity of an emergency competence in the present case; possible prior notification from the Hanke office; time of knowledge regarding the problem; Information on Wien Energie’s liquidity requirements; Obtaining additional information when signing the act of emergency competence (by StR Hanke); Advance information from City Councilor Hanke; involvement in second emergency competence; Receive information from Wiener Stadtwerke or Wien Energie on the subject before July 15; Procedure for receiving the file for signature; representation regulation in the city government; perception of and length of conversation with city councilor Hanke; need for further talks with Wien Energie following signing the file; Questioning the level of emergency competence; necessity of emergency competence; Additional information from the Hanke office or the mayor’s office; follow-up on the issue following signing; Contact with Mayor Ludwig on this or other topics in the summer months of 2022; level of knowledge regarding non-information of the public; Interpretation of an existing email with the mayor’s request for “exemption by MA5; conversations regarding further sums of money; scope or content of the file; Information provided by City Councilor Hanke during a discussion in the course of signing the emergency competence; previous emergency competence in the term of office; type of passing on the file to the mayor’s office; Opinion on the lack of media resonance at the beginning of the cause.
The fifth witness was Gerhard Mörtl, head of department in Municipal Department (MA) 5. Mörtl was already questioned by the commission in March 2023 and this time provided information on the following matters: involvement of the deputy head of MA 5 Mag.a Süka; knowledge of the e-mail of July 13 and use of City of Vienna stationery for the application; information on liquidity needs before July 13; involvement of other colleagues in the cause; Exchange and communication with Dr. Panagl; content and frequency of conversations with Mr. Miloradovic; content and time specifications for the preparation of the emergency competence on the part of Miloradovic; To indemnify and hold harmless the city in the emergency competence; interest due; reasons for the time of signing by Wiener Stadtwerke; Any changes to the final application by MA 5; perception of a possible refusal of borrowing from banks by the municipal utility; Contradictions to statements by Ms. Mag.a Süka; billing of provision fees; content of conversations at Wiener Stadtwerke; Talks regarding margin requirements of MA 5 with Mr. Krajcsir; Possible gaps in the electronic file for correspondence between MA 5 and the municipal utility; Completeness of file notes on telephone calls; Specifications for the form of communication; Commitment Fee Due Date; Any financial advantage due to the late signature by the municipal utility; Contents of a conversation with Ms. Mag.a Süka on the receipt of files; Coming of the decision for the emergency competence; completeness of the electronic file; His role as a direct contact for the public utility company; Witness’s view of statements by other witnesses of the investigative commission; Contact of the witness with Magistrate Director Griebler.
The next meeting of the municipal council’s investigative committee is expected to take place on Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in the Vienna City Hall.
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