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During the construction of the Semmering base tunnel, fraud worth millions is said to have occurred. Building materials worth more than two million euros are said to have been diverted from a construction site and sold clandestinely.
AUSTRIA. “Eight suspects are being investigated for fraud and infidelity”, confirmed the head of the Leoben prosecution, Andreas Riedler, to the “Kurier” (Sunday edition). The prosecution wanted to press charges this year, according to the report.
Building materials resold under hand
The main buyer of the construction site is suspected of diverting and reselling tons of bricks, concrete, structural steel and other materials together with accomplices. Suppliers are also investigated on the basis of false invoices issued. The building materials are said to have been delivered to other construction sites and processed there. For this, they have founded their own companies.
The fraud went unnoticed for a long time
This hurt the Marti tunnel construction consortium and thus the public sector as a customer of the Semmering base tunnel. The consortium was awarded the contract for the seven-kilometer section of the Grautschenhof tunnel between Mürzzuschlag and Spital am Semmering of the ÖBB. The processes are said to have remained undiscovered for a long time and were only noticed when around 300,000 liters of diesel disappeared from the construction site in 2018.
ÖBB: no financial damages
On the part of the ÖBB it was said in an initial reaction that the ÖBB, as a client of the construction project and therefore also the public sector, had not suffered any financial damage. “The ÖBB has been aware of the case for some time, as the Marti company informed us of the alleged fraud. A review started immediately by ÖBB concluded that ÖBB’s internal test systems were working. The ÖBB and therefore the public sector have not suffered any financial damage, ”he said in a written statement.
Semmering tunnel: the first half is done
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