Statement on article in profile from 06/11/2023

2023-06-10 12:40:06

Vienna (OTS) – Articles on the subject of the article “The new key witness against ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz” in the profile of June 11, 2023 have already been published repeatedly in recent months; Contrary to the description, there is still no information about actual, related investigations. The ÖIF already published a statement after the first article in November 2022:

https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20221119_OTS0011/oeif-stellungnahme-zum-artikel-in-die-presse-vom-19112022

Known, but only mentioned in passing in the present article, are investigations against the former managing director of the ÖIF (2002 to 2012). The allegations concern sales of apartments owned by the fund by the former manager, most of which took place in 2006-2009. In the course of an audit in 2014, the Court of Auditors determined that the properties had been sold well below their value. The ÖIF participated as a victim in the proceedings against the former managing director as part of a private party connection in the amount of 10.6 million euros. In this context, no investigations are known of against the ÖIF or persons currently employed by the ÖIF. The ÖIF no longer owns any real estate.

The ÖIF is a fund according to the Federal Foundation and Fund Act with its own legal personality and with specific mandates that are laid down in a number of federal and state laws (AsylG, IntG, Recognition and Evaluation Act, Housing Charity Act, social assistance implementation or Minimum income protection law of the federal states as well as the Art. 15a B-VG agreement on elementary education). The number of statutory orders and thus the scope of tasks of the ÖIF have increased significantly in recent years against the background of a high number of refugees in Austria: According to the Integration Act (2017), the ÖIF must provide a range of legally binding integration measures for refugees and displaced persons. The number of positive asylum applications was around 22,000 in 2016, 21,000 in 2017, 14,000 in 2018 – and in 2021 and 2022 there were again around 13,000 and 14,000 respectively. In addition, more than 97,000 expelled Ukrainians are currently registered in Austria. Appropriate German course and integration measures are also stipulated for this target group in the Integration Act. For comparison: in 2011 the number of positive asylum applications was only around 3,500, and there was no legal entitlement to integration measures at that time. Due to the ever-increasing immigration figures over the years, the number of integration measures carried out by the ÖIF has multiplied in recent years. In 2022 alone, the ÖIF carried out over 251,000 consultations at its integration centers throughout Austria and provided more than 67,000 German course places with course providers. Almost 100,000 people have taken part in the values and orientation courses, which have been held since 2015 and last year were expanded from one to three days.

In line with its fund purpose, the ÖIF carries out ongoing information work for its target groups, above all those entitled to asylum and subsidiary protection, Ukrainian displaced persons, migrants in Austria, representatives of authorities and organizations and multipliers in the area of integration. Circuits of the ÖIF are always fully and transparently presented to the public in accordance with the Media Transparency Act. In the summer of last year, the ÖIF voluntarily made extensive information on media cooperation and commissioned surveys available to the relevant parliamentary committee of inquiry.

The activities of the ÖIF are subject to the control of an independent supervisory board and control bodies such as the fund auditor in the person of an independent auditor and the fund authority; the financial management is subject to the control of the Court of Auditors. Both the filling of vacancies and the awarding of contracts are subject to clear regulations, which the ÖIF complies with accordingly.