In connection with the more than 30 million euro investment that the software company Frequentis, which also offers products for the aviation industry, has made at the Commerzialbank Mattersburg im Burgenland AG, which has slipped into bankruptcy, the economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office.
The allegation is in the room that bribes could have flowed to a consultant of the high-tech company. The former board member of the bankrupt bank, Franziska Klikovits, said aloud Austrian radio, in her interrogation that she can remember at least 80.000 euros. These would have been handed over to “a Frequentis employee” as an “unofficial commission” in 2016, quoted the ORF. This would have prevented the large sum of money from being withdrawn. Frequentis emphasizes that the “employee” named by Klikovits is said to have been an external consultant. The former bank boss claims in her interrogation of the accused, from which the ORF quotes, that there should have been renewed cash transfers in the course of due extensions. However, the handover should not have been carried out by Klikovits himself, but by an employee of the bank.
The ORF confronted the Frequentis consultant with the allegations. This is said to have referred to those responsible at the company who denied the flow of money, referred to the ongoing investigation and then hung up the phone. Frequentis lost around 31 million euros as a result of the commercial bank malversations, which ultimately led to the official closure and bankruptcy. Due to the fact that, according to the trustee, there are hardly any assets, only a very low rate, if any, should look out.