Shortly following the preliminary investigations by the corruption prosecutor’s office in the Vorarlberg business association became known, the tablet and perhaps also the cell phone of Governor Markus Wallner (ÖVP) were deleted, reported the “ZiB2” on Monday. In addition, the office management’s notebook had been declared defective. The governor’s office informed the ORF in writing that Wallner’s devices had been deleted because of a routine replacement that had been planned for some time.
Vorarlberg financial affair
Last week it became known that the WKStA is investigating whether there was initial suspicion of Wallner and the state economic councilors Karlheinz Rüdisser (until 2019) and Marco Tittler (since 2019) in the Vorarlberg financial affair. According to the public prosecutor’s office in Feldkirch, there is a suspicion that Wallner, Rüdisser and Tittler violated paragraph 305 of the criminal code. Specifically: Waller might have tried to demand advantages as an official for the dutiful performance of official business, Rüdisser and Tittler might have accepted such advantages.
An entrepreneur who was not named had claimed in an affidavit that Wallner had solicited advertisements for the Wirtschaftsbund-Zeitung and also promised something in return – which the governor sharply rejected as a “blatant lie”.
Shortly following the preliminary investigations once morest him became known, the governor wanted to have his iPhone and iPad deleted, reported the “ZiB2”. The tablet was deleted, the cell phone might not be clarified. However, this is not related to the WKStA announcement, Wallner’s office said. As had been planned for a long time, the governor was equipped with a new mobile phone last week. And the iPad is also a routine exchange.
Wallner has to face a no-confidence motion in the state parliament the day following tomorrow, Wednesday. The opposition – FPÖ, SPÖ and NEOS – introduced this two weeks ago.
