Blummel expects an apology from the opposition «kleinezeitung.at

Finance Minister Blumel confirmed that all relevant files from the Finance Ministry had been sent to the Ibiza-U-Committee. Expect an apology from the opposition.

11.02 a.m., June 22, 2021

Finance Minister Gernot Blumel He defends himself against the accusation that the files requested by the Ministry of Finance were not fully delivered to the Ibiza-U-Committee.

“The decision of the Constitutional Court was implemented accurately and completely.”Blumel says at a media event on Tuesday. The opposition parties wrote last week Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen He criticized the fact that Blumel’s file is still incomplete.

Then Van der Bellen turned to the Constitutional Court again With a request for comments, whether it is Implementation proposal from May Continue its maintenance. The Federal President has set a deadline for this until next Friday (25 June). Time is ticking as evidence of the unrenewed U-committee expires on July 15.

On Tuesday, Blumel said that executives in his departmentزار Confirmed in a written declaration of completion All relevant documents have been submitted. So Bümel has the extension Chief Financial Prosecutor Wolfgang Peschorn, who represented the Ministry as the Advocate of the Republic, requested that a list of completeness of files be prepared and sent to the Constitutional Court and to Federal President Van der Bellen. Moreover, the Ministry of Finance has applied to the Constitutional Court to stop the ongoing enforcement proceedings.

The federal president, Blumel, must also convince himself that all the required data has been transferred. This must also be proven by authorized external reports.

“Local political games”

Blumel asserts that he always tried to clear things up, even though “not everything was done right” due to an “unprecedented situation”. Errors occurredFor which he actually apologized: “The truth is, however, that this is a new legal area.” In a constitutional state it is legitimate to take legal action, and ultimately the decision of the constitutional state must be implemented “on full points”.

“If the opposition now claims that the ministry has not handed over the complete files, they are accusing the house staff of telling lies. I violently oppose this accusation,” Blumel said. “I will not allow Treasury employees to engage in domestic political games.”

“If this issue is ever settled, I would expect the opposition parties to apologize to the ministry staff. They did not make these accusations,” Blumel said.

In the course of the investigation against Blumel because of Suspicion of corruption and bribery is she Economic and Corruption Prosecutor (WKStA) In the meantime, in the process of securing more data.

As “Standard” reports, WKStA submitted a request for legal assistance to the US judiciary, which was then sent to Apple. The IT group responded that the data was “saved” for the ÖVP email address and Blümel’s mobile phone number. For WKStA, the data is necessary because in the case “mainly via mobile phones (talks, etc.) or by e-mail” it was communicated.

Blumel’s cell phone was confiscated during a home search in February. The reason for this was a discovery on the previous smartphone Novomatic President Harald Neumann, who asked Blumel in July 2017 to arrange an appointment for him with then-Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz (among other things “because of donations”). Blümel and Neumann deny the allegations of bribery, as both presumption of innocence apply.