Austrian accountant jailed for embezzling human rights funds

A court in Vienna has convicted an accountant who embezzled $1.8m from the international Helsinki Federation for Human Rights and used part of the money to pay for his mistress' breast augmentation.

The court heard details of how the organisation was eventually forced to close after the 43-year-old accountant channelled money unnoticed for six years into his bank account under the guise of financing human rights projects. He also made personal use of the organisation's ATM card.

His mistress also received large sums, and gambled about $7,355 a week at poker games. She also received an additional $44,118, which she told her accountant boyfriend, would be used to open a hair salon.

Instead the money paid for her breast augmentation and nose job, PR-inside.com reported.

In court the accountant said his mistress led him to believe that she would pay him back since she would be coming into a large inheritance.

He said he would not have agreed to financing the plastic surgery if he had known about them ahead of time.

The accountant has been sentenced to three years in jail, two of which were suspended, while his 31-year-old mistress- who was charged with concealment and receipt of stolen goods, was sentenced to two years and sixteen months, which she may serve on parole.

Further reading:

Accountant Sentenced for Fraud

Accountant Fraud Forces Out Rights Group