VIENNA/MUNICH (Reuters) – Picture this: Siemens (ETR:SIEGn), a renowned German engineering company, stands side by side with the authorities in Austria, helping them unravel the knots of a corruption investigation tied to hospital construction deals.
A few individuals, shrouded in the shadow of serious fraud charges, are under the watchful eye of the Feldkirch prosecutor’s office, announced on a quiet Tuesday. The accusations orbit a sum thought to be shy of 10 million euros – no small change at a whopping $10.99 million.
In a twist, the very probe into these actions sprung from information Siemens itself shared with the public prosecutor in a separate, ongoing compliance investigation. The company stated, “Siemens is stepping up to the plate with the authorities,” standing tall in the face of this challenge. However, as the inquiry is still in progress, Siemens remains tight-lipped on further details.
Austrian prosecutors unveiled a surprise last week: five arrests, homes searched high and low, all part of this complex puzzle. Yet, in the interest of fairness, they didn’t spill the beans on the names of those involved.
A Tuesday article from German newspaper Die Welt painted a picture of an elaborate “criminal system.” Allegedly, these culprits enriched themselves through forgery and fraud.
The story goes that the invoices for Siemens’ Smart Infrastructure division supplies were blown out of proportion, money changing hands for the delivery of building technology for a public health operator in Vorarlberg, for new and extended buildings alike.
The operator in question, Vorarlberger KHBG, seems to think they’re not alone in this mess, that they’re just one of many companies caught in this deceptive web.
“We’ve likely been paying through the nose for a good while now,” laments Martina Ruescher, chairwoman of the supervisory board, her statement echoing the financial blow the company has sustained.
The health provider, overseeing five hospitals in Vorarlberg, is now wrestling with the idea of suing Siemens for damages and giving its internal accounting system a good once-over.
($1 = 0.9098 euros) (A small correction was made to paragraph 9 to improve clarity)
