Local official Pim Knaff found guilty of aggravated tax fraud

According to online news site Reporter.lu, the Democratic Party (DP) politician admitted to his wrongdoing and reached an agreement with the public prosecutor's office to avoid a public hearing.

Authorities discovered that Knaff had failed to declare income from a bankruptcy case. He has been fined €9,500 as a result.

Esch Mayor Christian Weis of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) has refrained from commenting on Knaff's sentencing thus far. Weis mentioned that he and other executive board members will convene with Knaff on Friday morning to address the specifics of the case. He emphasised the importance of refraining from judgement based on a legal ruling of which he is not fully aware.

When questioned about the responsibility of politicians to serve as role models, Weis replied that he does not want to condone Knaff's actions but noted that the incident occurred outside of Knaff's political duties. Mayor Weis stressed the importance of accountability and rectifying mistakes.

Further details are expected to be provided by the Mayor on Friday. He indicated that Knaff's personal stance on the matter will likely influence the executive board's course of action.

Pim Knaff has yet to respond to enquiries from our colleagues from RTL.lu. In a statement to newspaper Luxemburger Wort, he expressed his intent to take responsibility for his error and settle the fine.

The local chapter of the Left Party (déi Lénk) in Esch is urging Knaff to step down from all of his executive positions. The opposition party stresses the seriousness of aggravated tax fraud and warns that the verdict could tarnish the reputation of both the municipality of Esch and the municipal executive board.

Meanwhile, the local chapter of the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr) is calling on Knaff to disclose the verdict to ensure transparency retroactively.