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Bankruptcy of Karl-Heinz Grasser causes damage of at least eleven million euros to the Republic
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡น Austria /Economy & Trade

Bankruptcy of Karl-Heinz Grasser causes damage of at least eleven million euros to the Republic

From Die Presse · (2d ago) German Critical tone

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Former Austrian Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser's personal bankruptcy is causing a significant financial loss to the Republic of Austria, estimated at over 22 million Euros.
  • Grasser has proposed a repayment plan offering creditors only three percent of their claims, with the funds to be financed by third parties.
  • The state has claims totaling over 12 million Euros related to the Buwog case, which remain largely unrecovered.

The ongoing personal bankruptcy proceedings of former Austrian Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser continue to cast a long shadow over the Republic, revealing a staggering financial deficit. At the first hearing at the Kitzbรผhel District Court, it became clear that the state faces a potential loss exceeding 22 million Euros due to Grasser's insolvency.

Grasser hat einen Zahlungsplanantrag eingebracht und bietet seinen Glรคubigern eine Quote von drei Prozent

โ€” CreditreformDescribing Grasser's proposed repayment plan.

Grasser, who was not present at the hearing but sent his apologies, has submitted a payment plan proposal that offers his creditors a mere three percent of their claims. Crucially, these funds are not to be paid from Grasser's own assets but are to be financed by third parties. This arrangement would leave the Republic of Austria with a substantial claim of over 12 million Euros, primarily stemming from the infamous Buwog case, largely unaddressed.

While the total debt is estimated at 35.6 million Euros, with 23.1 million recognized and 12.5 million disputed, the recovery process has been fraught with difficulties. Efforts to access funds from Liechtenstein accounts, potentially held by Grasser, are currently stalled due to a judicial freeze. Although experts deem a future release of these funds "realistic," the Republic's significant claim from the Buwog affair complicates matters, potentially hindering the approval of any release.

Ein mรถglicher Massezufluss kรถnnte sich aus liechtensteinischen Konten ergeben

โ€” KSV1870Indicating a potential source of funds for the insolvency estate.

The sale of personal assets, including a watch and the liquidation of a life insurance policy, has yielded only a fraction of the owed amount. The court is also investigating whether Grasser's asset declaration was complete, as false or incomplete statements carry criminal penalties. Given his background and past income, creditors and the state have a keen interest in a thorough accounting of his assets.

Diese Zustimmung dรผrfte vermutlich schwer zu erreichen sein, da die Republik ร–sterreich mit der Forderung รผber 12,9 Millionen Euro aus dem Themenkomplex Buwog รผber einen Anspruch verfรผgt

โ€” Klaus Schaller KSVExplaining the difficulty in accessing Liechtenstein accounts due to Austria's claim.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.