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Vienna (pte006/24.05.2013/10:04) - The social-democratic party (SPÖ) in Salzburg has had to make a public apology on its website after it lost a legal battle against the financial advisory company Finanzbuddha in the context of the financial scandal that has hit the region.
The Salzburg party leader Roland Meisl published on February 26 a press release which stated that according to the director of the finance department Eduard Paulus' statement before the inquiry committee, Finanzbuddha shareholders had visited him in the finance department of the Salzburg SPÖ to offer their services as early as Mai 2012. The text also said the so-called independent experts had themselves been business partners of the city council.
Finanzbuddah has denied any contact with the SPÖ finance department before the autumn of 2012. One of the shareholders who testified in court said: "Neither staff nor shareholders have offered our services to the Salzburg-SPÖ finance department. I can rule that out."
Roland Meisl who was called as a witness before the court said his information had come from Paulus and Monika Rathgeber. Paulus himself told the judge he had been given that particular piece of information from the dismissed head of the unit - who was invited to take part in the proceedings but chose to stay in the background.
The lawyer for the SPÖ argued that the inquiry committee statements were privileged and that a right-of-reply for such negligible reports was unnecessary.
But the lawyer for Finanzbuddha Michael Rami said: "My client is being dragged into the biggest financial scandal of the second republic."
He said the case had been sought to put right rumours that kept resurfacing once and for all about his clients role.
Judge Johannes Huber finally adjudicated in favour of Finanzbuddha. He said the SPÖ had not been able to provide any proof that Finanzbuddha was not telling the truth, and that they were responsible for providing correct information about third parties.
During the inquiry, Paulus had only given vague details and had not named any specific individuals from Finanzbuddha.
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