Prosecutor General urges court to uphold Bludenz mayor’s conviction

Austria’s Generalprocurator’s Office, the country’s highest prosecution authority, has recommended that the Supreme Court uphold the conviction of Bludenz Mayor Simon Tschann. ORF Vorarlberg reported that the office wants the court to dismiss Tschann’s appeal on grounds of nullity.

Tschann, a member of the Austrian People’s Party, was convicted of abuse of office in February and sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended, and a fine of 60,000 euros. The Supreme Court has not yet said when it will consider the case.

If the court follows the recommendation, the Innsbruck Higher Regional Court would then rule on the appeal against the sentence. A previous conviction in the case was set aside by the Supreme Court, which also acquitted Tschann on one aspect. The abuse-of-office charge was retried in Feldkirch, where he was convicted again. His fine was set at 300 daily rates of 200 euros each.