This is where a decision is made about the indictment or the termination of the proceedings. The question of who is responsible for the departure chaos of March 13, 2020 is particularly relevant under criminal law. Tyrolean Governor Günther Platter (ÖVP) incriminated the Federal Chancellor in his testimony, so profil.
Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) had informed him that, in agreement with the then Minister of Health Rudolf Anschober (Greens), after corresponding information from the staff, he had decided that the Paznaun and St. Anton am Arlberg would be quarantined, according to Platter. The timing was “simply not an issue”. Platter emphasized that he had immediately commissioned his highest official and head of the Tyrolean crisis team – Herbert Forster – to work out a quarantine concept.
“Surprising quarantine announcement”
Three and a half hours after the telephone conversation between Kurz and Platter, the Chancellor stepped in front of the press and announced the quarantine with the words: “These areas will be isolated with immediate effect”. Thousands of tourists then fled. The quarantine announcement was “surprising, without direct responsibility and without substantial preparation”, the expert commission under ex-chief judge Ronald Rohrer already stated.
Five suspects
The Innsbruck public prosecutor’s office leads five people as suspects after the investigation has lasted more than a year. Among them are Tyrol’s highest official state office director Forster – and the district captain of Landeck responsible for Ischgl, Markus Maaß. There are also two other officials from the Landeck district administration and Ischgl’s mayor Werner Kurz. Forster’s lawyer told profil that the state office director would be relieved by the results of the investigation. An “immediate” quarantine from 2 p.m. was “in no way” instructed to his client. It is also “unreasonable” and “humanly impossible” to set up such a management within just three and a half hours.
According to the lawyer, no representative of the federal government was questioned by the public prosecutor. “In my opinion, the Ministry of Justice could order additional investigations with the project report. Then the responsibility of the federal government could also be examined,” the lawyer was of the opinion. Justice Minister Alma Zadić now has the ball in the delicate case. A decision can be expected in autumn.
