The Ried Wojak Regional Court had already acquitted seven out of ten charges in December 2020; What remained were two guilty verdicts of breach of trust because Wojak had paid administrative penalties from funds available to the authorities. Wojak had appealed against these guilty verdicts.
On Monday, the Higher Regional Court of Linz reduced the partially contingent fine of 17,400 euros imposed by the Regional Court of Ried. Reduced: During the hearing on Monday, the Higher Regional Court came to the conclusion that the defendant’s appeal should be followed. What remained of the charges was only a district court offence, breach of trust using official status, said a spokesman for the OLG. The penalty originally imposed was reduced from 200 to 100 daily rates, totaling 8,700 euros. Half of it – 4,350 euros – remained unconditional, 50 day rates were conditionally imposed for three years. The court assessed Wojak’s compensation for damages as mitigating: damage to the state of 150 euros was demonstrably left over because Wojak paid administrative penalties for those affected from the authority’s disposal funds during his term of office. He paid this 150 euros to the state. The court saw that as mitigating. There is no longer any right of appeal against the judgment of the Higher Regional Court.
Originally there were 1,181 complaints from the state of Upper Austria in the matter, only six of which resulted in an indictment, all others were discontinued due to insignificance. In the proceedings before the regional court, the former head of the authority had not declared himself guilty of any of the charges and had defended his actions.
Source: Nachrichten
