Public prosecutor investigates former mayor Luger

An investigation has been launched into the Luger lies affair, as the public prosecutor’s office confirmed to the “Salzburger Nachrichten” on Wednesday. The NEOS Linz and the MFG had both previously submitted a statement of facts – Tips reported.

Suspicion of infidelity

Specifically, it is about the suspicion of “disloyalty”. Luger had passed on hearing questions to his friend Dietmar Kerschbaum, who became the director of the Brucknerhaus and artistic director of the LIVA a few months later. When it became known that Kerschbaum’s appointment had been postponed, Luger had the person who had passed on the hearing questions searched for and commissioned a legal opinion. The crucial questions are whether this was paid for with public money and commissioned by Luger. Klaus Luger is presumed innocent.

ÖVP requests current affairs

The Linz People’s Party will also submit a motion to “hold a current hour on the subject of ‘abuse of power in the city of Linz and its undertakings'” at the upcoming municipal council meeting on September 26, 2024. The reason: “The individual parliamentary group representatives have already repeatedly stated which documents are needed first and foremost to clarify the LIVA affair, as was the case again yesterday in the crisis meeting of the city senate leaders.” Unfortunately, the interim SPÖ mayor Hörzing again only gave a vague answer yesterday,” said club chairwoman Michaela Sommer.

According to reports, Hörzing merely announced that she would check which documents she could make available.

ÖVP sees many unresolved questions

For the ÖVP, many questions remain unanswered: “How can it be, for example, that Klaus Luger, in his role as chairman of the supervisory board, commissioned an expert opinion?” It is obvious that he is not allowed to do this, but: how and by whom was this then handled and paid for? Did the expert opinions actually cost anything? “What was the specific assignment to the PR consultant, how much did it cost and what does his list of services look like?” asks Sommer. In order to prevent this from happening in the future, a complete investigation is first required, concludes the parliamentary group chairwoman.