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The raid on the national protective mask manufacturer Hygiene Austria continues to cause a stir. After the suspicion of fraudulent labeling, buyers are now investigating the question of removing the masks.
AUSTRIA. The SPÖ and FPÖ pointed out at the Ibiza commission of inquiry on Wednesday that products produced abroad and allegedly relabelled were also obtained from parliament.
In response to a request from the APA, the Parliamentary Directorate confirmed on Wednesday that MNS masks from manufacturer Hygiene Austria are in Parliament’s inventory. However, these were not obtained directly. Rather, it was a “request from the Federal Acquisition Company (BBG).” According to the APA, the company appears as one of several suppliers for the acquisition of protective masks (current situation of the company: “under review”).
Suspicion of serious business fraud
A spokesperson for Hygiene Austria had confirmed home searches at two locations on Tuesday. According to the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA), it is a suspicion of organized undeclared work and serious commercial fraud. The company rejects the allegations as “unfounded” and claims to be cooperating closely with the authorities to help clarify the situation. It is unfortunate here “to be drawn into the current political disputes,” the leadership said.
ÖBB bought 576,000 FFP2 masks
For whom and how many masks the Federal Procurement Agency BBG also bought from Hygiene Austria is still not exactly clear. “We immediately started with the appearance of media reports and we are currently collecting the necessary information to be able to verify if and to what extent measures of the public procurement law are being taken on the basis of the BVergG (Federal Procurement Law, note) 2018 or the framework agreements that have been concluded are ”, he said this Wednesday in a written statement from the BBG.
“The BBG asked Hygiene Austria LP GmbH for a statement last night.” How many masks BBG ordered from Hygiene Austria was not disclosed. According to the EU-wide tender, there were 50 bidders for the € 420 million contract.
The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) have obtained 576,000 FFP2 masks with CE Hygiene Austria certificate through the Federal Procurement Agency from a framework contract, as an ÖBB spokesperson for the APA said on Wednesday. Now one wants to wait for the WKStA investigations.
Spar: masks are safe
Retailers put a large number of items into circulation. “We note the reports with concern because we deliberately bought many of these masks,” Spar spokeswoman Nicole Berkmann said when asked by the APA. Talks on this issue have already been held “at a high level”. The spokeswoman emphasized that the masks Spar delivers to her clients are safe. “We have 100 percent traceability that the masks we buy are definitely made in Austria on the Wiener Neudorf site.” The raw material also comes from Austria, “and we have test reports for our masks that are really of FFP2 mask quality.” Therefore, the masks will be delivered to employees and customers as before.
The Rewe group said on Wednesday: “We are currently checking this internally and are in contact with Hygiene Austria,” said Rewe spokesman Paul Pöttschacher. At the moment, the masks are still for sale, but the quality is checked internally through quality management.
SPÖ poses a parliamentary question to Kurz
The deputy head of the SPÖ club, Jörg Leichtfried, recalled on Wednesday the relationship between the manager of the Chancellor’s office and the manager of Hygiene Austria. Assistant Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) is married to one of the CEOs of Hygiene Austria, Tino Wieser. In the parliamentary question, the SPÖ wants to know if the Foreign Ministry has also bought masks from the company and if the company has intervened in this regard. “While hundreds of thousands of people are unemployed in Austria and thousands of entrepreneurs have to fear for their existence, a few were doing the business of their lives in the midst of the Crown crisis,” Leichtfried criticized in a broadcast.
FPÖ criticizes close relationship with Kurz team
FPÖ club president Herbert Kickl also spoke on Wednesday about the cheap “Chinese Klumpert” which “was converted into quality products made in Austria by relabeling.” The Federal Chancellor was something of a testimony to this company, according to Kickl. “For a few hours, his assistants should have been busy erasing the traces of this close relationship with the company. The corresponding videos that were shown recently have disappeared. But that will not do him any good either. This company is done.” a close relationship with Sebastian Kurz’s team. “
Kickl also found it interesting that Hygiene Austria was founded just one day before the first closing. “So someone must have known where the trip was going,” assumed the president of the liberal club.
Address search at the mask manufacturer Hygiene Austria
