Uster city parliament calls for parliamentary inquiry following police scandal: 1.4 million Swiss francs budget overspend
The Uster parliament voted 31 to 0 to pass a motion establishing a parliamentary inquiry commission. The focus is on budget overruns and split invoicing at the city police.
Uster: Parliament calls for parliamentary inquiry commission into police scandal
Google News CH — Crime (de) reports that the city parliament of Uster, at its first sitting since the police scandal became public, passed a motion to establish a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (PUK) with 31 votes in favour to 0 against and 4 abstentions. The executive of the municipal council now has six months to prepare a corresponding report and motion. The final decision on whether the PUK is actually established will be made by parliament at a later date.
According to the municipal council's organisational rules, a PUK can be established "to clarify incidents of major significance". The body is composed of members of parliament and has the right — unlike the standing commission for public services and security (KÖS) — to access all documents of the city council. City clerk Daniel Reuter confirmed to the "Zürcher Oberländer" that the PUK would be established in Uster for the first time, should it come to that.
At the heart of the scandal is a budget overspend of approximately 1.4 million Swiss francs at the city police. Furthermore, invoices totalling around half a million Swiss francs are alleged to have been split in order to circumvent existing financial competencies — according to allegations made by the SVP/EDU parliamentary group, which submitted the motion. Financing is said to have included, among other things, an all-terrain vehicle, road barriers, an app and tactical trousers worth almost 250,000 Swiss francs.
The responsible police commander was dismissed in spring after the city council withdrew its confidence in him. City councillor Beatrice Caviezel (GLP) had her political responsibility for the security portfolio temporarily removed last week. She is said to have personally approved split invoices in at least one case, thereby authorising a purchase for which she lacked the authority. The city council also announced it would have the matter investigated externally.
The city council and municipal council have filed a criminal complaint against unknown persons on suspicion of breach of official secrecy and violation of confidentiality obligations. The complaint is directed at persons who are alleged to have passed confidential documents concerning the scandal to the media. In parallel, the KÖS is also investigating the matter in its capacity as a control and supervisory commission of the municipal council.
Source: Google News CH — Crime (de)