The discovery of several gold bars in a farmhouse in Tyrol used by the right-wing populist FPÖ brings the freedom in explanation.
According to a report in the news magazine "Profil", the Austrian police found three cassettes with gold bars in the Pension "Enzian" in St. Jakob in the east of Tyrol in summer. In the former farmhouse is therefore an educational institute of the FPÖ.
What value the pot of gold has, is not yet known exactly. Die Zeit im Bild (ZIB) reports that it is precious metal worth more than one million euros. This was also suggested by a copy of a notarial letter listing the number of bars in the three cassettes, but which had been blackened at crucial points. The bars therefore have a single weight of 500 grams and are made of fine gold. This would mean a value of currently 21,000 euros per piece.
The ownership is also listed in the paper. According to the facsimile showing "Profil", those present at the signing stated that two cassettes belonged to the Vienna FPÖ faction and another to the Vienna FPÖ.
Vienna FPÖ boss Nepp: "Everything is legal here"
According to "profile" was one of the claimants for opening the safes of today's Vienna FPÖ leader Dominik Nepp. He acknowledged the existence of the gold camp on media inquiries, but denied that a gold camp in a holiday home of a political party was problematic. "Everything is legal here," said Nepp.
The party had bought the gold during the 2008 financial crisis to protect its assets in economically turbulent times. The ZIB told the Vienna FPÖ boss, the money for the gold purchase came from membership fees, state party funding and other party assets. The party has decided to keep the bars private, as banks could go bankrupt and close.
Secret Fund in Liechtenstein
The FPÖ repeatedly had to defend itself against allegations of illegal political party funding. In May, the Ibiza affair of former FPÖ leader and Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache put an end to illegal party donations by the FPÖ's participation in the government in Vienna.
The SPIEGEL and the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" had revealed at the time that Strache had offered political favors against money for the FPÖ even before the parliamentary election of 2017 to a Russian oligarch's daughter mimicked by an actress.
In a 2015 published book on the longtime FPÖ boss Jörg Haider had a former confidant of the right-wing populist revealed the existence of a secret fund in Liechtenstein. The money should therefore be used to finance Haider's political activities.
