Google puts its German sales chief on leave ‘for the time being’ after embezzlement charges

Google’s sales director in Germany, Stefan Tweraser, has been relieved from his duties for an indefinite period of time.

Tweraser was recently charged in Austria with receiving kickbacks for sponsorship deals he made while working as a marketing executive for Telekom Austria, a provider of fixed-line, mobile, data, and Internet communications services.

Tweraser and three others are charged with breach of trust, Bloomberg reported at the time, also noting that Google declined to “comment on private matters of its employees”.

Now, the Internet search and advertising giant has come forward with a statement, relayed by VentureVillage and German media:

“Google has notified Stefan Tweraser that, in light of the indictment he is facing in relation to his work at previous employer Telekom Austria, for the time being he will step down from his role at Google Germany.”

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My educated guess is that the ‘for the time being’ part of the official company statement is simply carefulness on Google’s part, and that Tweraser’s name will not remain on its list of employees for long.

The executive’s position will be taken over by Alastair Bruce, who has been appointed the new sales director for Google Germany.

The embezzlement case revolves around a payment of 585,600 euros (roughly $780,000 today) allegedly made to Tweraser by a marketing company – Euro RSCG, now called Havas Worldwide – that Telekom Austria contracted with during the 2008 European Soccer Championship.

The case was first made public by Austrian media company Format earlier this month after it obtained the court documents, although the indictment dates back to the beginning of December 2012.

Tweraser has reportedly confessed the wrongdoing and agreed to repay the money, but that won’t stop him from facing a Viennese court. A court date has not been set or communicated yet.

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