KREMZOW v. AUSTRIA



                  EUROPEAN COMMISSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

                             FIRST CHAMBER

                       Application No. 19165/91

                       Friedrich Wilhelm Kremzow

                                against

                                Austria

                       REPORT OF THE COMMISSION

                       (adopted on 28 June 1995)

                           TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                 Page

INTRODUCTION .............................................        1

PART I:  STATEMENT OF THE FACTS ..........................        3

PART II: SOLUTION REACHED ................................        4

                             INTRODUCTION

1.    This Report relates to the application introduced under

Article 25 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human

Rights and Fundamental Freedoms by Friedrich Wilhelm Kremzow against

Austria on 4 October 1991.  It was registered on 6 December 1991 under

file No. 19165/91.

      The applicant was initially represented by Messrs. W.L. Weh and

H. Mühlgassner, lawyers practising in Bregenz and Vienna respectively

and subsequently by Mr. R. Soyer, a lawyer practising in Vienna.

      The Government of Austria were represented by their Agent,

Mr. F. Cede, Ambassador, Head of the International Law Department at

the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

2.    On 30 November 1994 the Commission (First Chamber) declared

admissible the applicant's complaint under Article 6 para. 1 of the

Convention relating to the length of the proceedings and declared

inadmissible the remainder of the application.  It then proceeded to

carry out its task under Article 28 para. 1 of the Convention which

provides as follows:

      "In the event of the Commission accepting a petition referred to

      it:

      a.   it shall, with a view to ascertaining the facts, undertake

           together with the representatives of the parties an

           examination of the petition and, if need be, an

           investigation, for the effective conduct of which the

           States concerned shall furnish all necessary facilities,

           after an exchange of views with the Commission;

      b.   it shall at the same time place itself at the disposal of

           the parties concerned with a view to securing a friendly

           settlement of the matter on the basis of respect for Human

           Rights as defined in this Convention."

3.    The Commission (First Chamber) found that the parties had reached

a friendly settlement of the case and on 28 June 1995 it adopted this

Report, which, in accordance with Article 28 para. 2 of the Convention,

is confined to a brief statement of the facts and of the solution

reached.

      The following members were present when the Report was adopted:

           Mr.   H. DANELIUS, President

           Mrs.  G.H. THUNE

           MM.   G. JÖRUNDSSON

                 S. TRECHSEL

                 J.-C. SOYER

                 H.G. SCHERMERS

                 F. MARTINEZ

                 L. LOUCAIDES

                 J.-C. GEUS

                 M.A. NOWICKI

                 I. CABRAL BARRETO

                 J. MUCHA

                 D. SVÁBY

                                PART I

                        STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

4.    The applicant, born in 1938, is an Austrian national.

5.    On 29 June 1984 the Tax Office (Finanzamt) for the 6th, 7th and

15th District of Vienna instituted criminal proceedings under the Code

of Tax Offences (Finanzstrafgesetz) against the applicant on suspicion

of evasion of taxes.  On 18 December 1987 the applicant unsuccessfully

requested that the criminal proceedings be transferred to the Regional

Tax Authority for Vienna, Lower Austria and the Burgenland (Finanz-

landesdirektion).  On 9 May 1988 the Tax Office instructed the

applicant to submit a written statement on the charges raised against

him.  On 18 May 1992 the applicant's case file was transmitted to the

Trial Board (Spruchsenat) which on 25 June 1992 discontinued the

criminal proceedings against the applicant.  The applicant complains

of the length of proceedings instituted against him and invokes

Article 6 of the Convention.

                                PART II

                           SOLUTION REACHED

6.    Following the decision on the admissibility of the application,

the Commission placed itself at the disposal of the parties with a view

to securing a friendly settlement in accordance with Article 28

para. 1 (b) of the Convention and invited the parties to submit any

proposals they wished to make.

7.    In accordance with the usual practice, the Chamber Secretary,

acting on the Commission's instructions, contacted the parties to

explore the possibilities of reaching a friendly settlement.

8.    By letter of 24 April 1995 the parties submitted the following

agreement reached between them:

9.   

      "Statements of the parties with a view to a friendly settlement

      With reference to Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the European

Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,

the parties in the proceedings concerning Application No. 18273/91,

lodged by Mr. Friedrich Wilhelm Kremzow, declare with a view to a

friendly settlement as follows:

      1.   The Government of the Republic of Austria will pay to the

      applicant a sum of altogether AS 65,000 as compensation in

      respect of any possible claims relating to the present

      application.  This sum includes AS 15,000 in respect of counsels'

      fees and expenses incurred in the proceedings before the

      Commission.

      This amount will be paid to the applicants' representative Mr.

      Richard Soyer in Vienna.

      2.   The applicant declares his application settled.

      3.   The applicant waives any further claims against the

      Republic of Austria relating to the present application."

      "Erklärungen der Parteien zur gütlichen Regelung

      In der Beschwerdesache Nr. 19165/91 des Herrn Friedrich Wilhelm

Kremzow einigen sich die Parteien unter Bezugnahme auf Artikel 28 Abs.

1 lit. b der Europäischen Konvention zum Schutze der Menschenrechte und

Grundfreiheiten auf die nachstehende gütliche Regelung:

      1.   Die österreichische Regierung zahlt dem Beschwerdeführ als

      Ausgleich für sämtliche etwaige Ansprüche im Zusammenhang mit der

      vorliegenden Beschwerde einen Gesamtbetrag von öS 65,000.  Dieser

      Betrag umfaßt öS 15,000 hinsichtlich der Gebühren und Auslagen,

      die im Rahmen des Verfahrens vor der Kommission entstanden sind.

      Dieser Betrag wird an den Verfahrensbevollmächtigten des

      Beschwerdeführers, Herrn Rechtsanwalt Dr. Richard Soyer in Wien,

      überwiesen.

      2.   Der Beschwerdeführer erklärt seine oben genannte Beschwerde

      als erledigt.

      3.   Der Beschwerdeführer verzichtet auf die Geltendmachung

      allfälliger weiterer Forderungen gegen die Republik Österreich

      im Zusammenhang mit dem der Beschwerde zugrundeliegenden

      Sachverhalt."

10.   At its session on 28 June 1995, the Commission noted that the

parties had reached an agreement regarding the terms of a settlement.

      If further considered, having regard to Article 28 para. 1 (b)

of the Convention, that the friendly settlement of the case had been

secured on the basis of respect for Human Rights as defined in the

Convention.

11.   For these reasons, the Commission adopted this Report.

Secretary to the First Chamber     President of the First Chamber

      (M. F. BUQUICCHIO)                  (C.L. ROZAKIS)

 

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