Wadgassen in crisis: Mayor Greiber under pressure and facing deselection!

Wadgassen in crisis: Mayor Greiber under pressure and facing deselection!

The property and real estate Wadgassen GmbH & Co. KG is on the verge of bankruptcy after the Wadgasser local council rejected a restructuring plan by Mayor Sebastian Greiber (SPD) by a majority on Tuesday evening. This could result in millions in damages to the community, which has led the opposition to blame Greiber for the predicament. The “We for Wadgassen” (WfW) faction is now calling for his resignation and plans to initiate a recall process if he does not voluntarily resign from his position.

The situation is particularly tense because Greiber was the GmbH's managing director until the beginning of the year and has repeatedly been the focus of criticism in recent weeks. The rejection of the restructuring plan represented a further challenge for his management. There were also serious allegations against Greiber, which were made in a criminal complaint by the newly appointed supervisory board of the community-owned real estate GmbH. These allegations concern the purchase of several properties that were acquired by a GmbH that was considered insolvent, including a property that previously belonged to a former SPD deputy.

Accusations and resignation

The tensions in the supervisory bodies led to Greiber's resignation as managing director of several municipal GmbHs. A central accusation is that two million euros from the municipal treasury were used for interim financing without the municipal council's consent. This creates the impression of infidelity, which Greiber vehemently rejects. He argues that the purchase of the council house was necessary for the development of the village.

The ex-SPD deputy, whose family bought one of the five properties on Lindenstrasse for 355,000 euros, resigned from the GmbH's supervisory board shortly after the purchase. Greiber rejected the allegations of a prohibited self-dealing and emphasized that further appraisals were obtained and that the ex-counselor was unable to take part in the meetings due to bias.

Current developments and tests

A loan agreement between Immo GmbH and the municipality for 200,000 euros was signed in 2023. Greiber was both mayor and managing director. Despite his recognition that he failed to submit a vote on the purchases to the local council, he sees no serious mistake. The GmbH's current debt is 1.59 million euros, and the interim financed funds are to be repaid.

Greiber rejects rumors about luxurious business trips and the purchase of company cars. He is of the opinion that his predecessor Harald Braun, who sits on the supervisory board, is behind the allegations against him. The allegations against Greiber are currently being examined by the public prosecutor's office and the municipal supervisory authority, while he also has a supervisory complaint.

The political tensions and uncertainty about the future of Wadgasser Immobilien GmbH continue to drive discussions in the local council and in the community. Given the critical financial situation, a further decline in political support could have serious consequences for Mayor Greiber and the community.

For more information, read the comprehensive reports Saarbrücken newspaper and SR.de.