03. 09. 10. - 15:00

ÖIAG boss hit by mail expenses claims

Austrian industry-holding stock corporation (ÖIAG) chief Peter Michaelis is in hot water amid claims taxpayers’ money was used to pay for shipping of private goods.

Viennese daily Heute reports today (Fri) the businessman charged ÖIAG with paying 845.24 Euros for express deliveries of CDs, DVDs, magazines, a spyglass and a smoking to the United States and Germany.

A spokesman for ÖIAG – which holds interest in partially and entirely state-owned firms – rubbished the report. "Mr Michaelis has always refunded all private expenses, of course," she said.

Michaelis earns around 750,000 Euros a year, according to business newspapers.

Meanwhile, Social Democratic (SPÖ) financial issues state secretary Andreas Schieder called for a dissolution of the holding cooperation. SPÖ Chancellor Werner Faymann expressed his support of such a move already last year.