One 12 months after the fraud scandal, during which staff of the development division of the Vorarlberg Hospital Working Firm (KHBG) and Siemens are amongst these concerned, turned public, the Feldkirch public prosecutor’s workplace has now handed over the investigation to the Financial and Corruption Prosecutor’s Workplace (WKStA).
It’s assumed that the damages quantity to greater than 5 million euros, which mechanically makes the WKStA accountable, stated Feldkirch authority spokesman Heinz Rusch on Friday. The fraud case turned public information in the beginning of August 2023, when a number of arrests have been made following a report on account of a compliance audit at Siemens. There have been additionally home searches, together with within the building division of the KHBG.
Manipulated invoices
Along with a Siemens supervisor, two then-active and one retired KHBG staff have been affected by the investigation. Since 2013, they’re stated to have issued manipulated invoices for KHBG growth and new building tasks by their very own firm. This resulted in a number of voluntary disclosures, and a complete of twelve persons are listed as suspects.
Only a week in the past, KHBG managing director Gerald Fleisch knowledgeable the state-owned firm in regards to the standing of the investigation, and even a 12 months after the case got here to gentle, there was nonetheless no finish in sight to the investigation. Apparently, the accused hid objects that have been troublesome to confirm in invoices for small and medium-sized building tasks utilizing “fanciful” names to be able to then divert the cash. It’s assumed that there are a number of hundred particular person instances.
The KHBG is without doubt one of the important victims, however solely considered one of a number of corporations. The injury can’t be exactly quantified, however the KHBG is anticipated to be within the “mid-single-digit million vary,” which can possibly be coated by the funds deposited by the twelve accused, stated Fleisch. Based on a report within the Vorarlberger Nachrichten (Friday), State Well being Minister Martina Rüscher (VP) didn’t rule out attainable injury to taxpayers in response to a question from the SPÖ, as delays in ongoing building tasks might lead to further prices that can’t but be quantified.
