Red-faced managers of the posh Sacher Hotel in Vienna that exclusively manages a global trade in the chocolate cakes of the same name have admitted failing to notice after their accountant stole GBP 3.5 Million and gave it all to her spoilt son.

The Sacher Hotel is not just a hotel, it is an institution. Located in the city of Vienna in Austria, it is famous for the speciality of the house, the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with apricot filling, which was invented at the request of the Former Foreign Minister of the Austrian Empire, Prince Klemens von Metternich in 1832.

He had requested that the then 16-year-old apprentice baker Franz Sacher create a special dessert for his guests, and the result was a sensation.

On the back of that, in 1876, his son Eduard Sacher opened the Hotel Sacher as an exclusive luxury hotel.

His wife, Anna Maria Fuchs who was the daughter of a butcher, then turned it into the go-to point for the high society of the Habsburg Empire, entertaining everyone from Kaiser Franz Joseph downwards.

When Eduard died in 1892, his cigar-smoking wife took over, and when she finally died, more than 10,000 Viennese people turned up at the funeral.

It was seized by the Russians after WWII and then handed over to the British, who kept it for a short while before handing it back to the original owners.

And it quickly got back on its feet, being expanded in the 50s and then constantly rebuilt and expanded as the decades moved on.

In 1988, a second hotel was opened by the group, and then two further cafe Sacher’s followed in Innsbruck in 1993 and Graz in 2003.

But the recipe for the original cake remains a secret right up until today, allowing them to sell around 360,000 of the cakes still produced on the premises which are then shipped all round the world as well as being consumed locally.

The 49-year-old woman now convicted of theft, whose identity was not disclosed because of local privacy laws, was reportedly employed as the chief accountant in the Austrian five-star luxury hotel Sacher, managed to transfer over GBP 3.5 Million from the entire holding’s account to her own from January 2010 to December 2020.

She was sentenced to three years in prison by the Regional Court for Criminal Matters in Austria’s capital Vienna on 17th August, with two suspended, but can appeal the sentence and as a result the judgment is not final.

Local media stated that the woman wanted to give her son everything in life to show him that it was worth working hard to achieve his dreams, but instead, he ended up spoiled and was never motivated to get a job, was kicked out of school for fighting and then spent the money that she showered him with on gambling, and later on drugs.

According to her statement to police, her son would spend the money almost as fast as she could give it to him and was often visited by men standing in front of their apartment and asking for their money back.

In order to help him get a fresh start, the woman, who was considered very reliable in the company where she worked ever since 1990 until she was caught stealing, managed to conduct over 350 transfers totaling millions starting from January 2010.

After years of supporting her son, the 49-year-old woman felt guilty because she was financially neglecting her daughter so she decided to steal some more for her as well, which continued until December 2020.

She was exposed when Sacher’s bank noticed questionable transfers and suspected money laundering, which was immediately reported to the hotel’s authorities in mid-January 2021.

Sacher Managing Director Matthias Winkler said: “None of the experts noticed. Not even auditors, banks, or generations of managing directors. It was a shock for the entire company.”

Several hours later, the 49-year-old, who admitted she was amazed it had taken so long for them to capture, was invited to a personal meeting where she was confronted by hotel officials and her contract was immediately terminated.

During the hearing on Tuesday (17th August) the 49-year-old woman confessed to her crimes and reported she did not keep records of the transferred amounts, however, she trusted the damage records provided by her former employer.

She told the judge: “I wanted to show him [her son] that he can have everything. With hindsight, I know that I wasn’t a good mother. I would do everything differently.”

The Regional Court for Criminal Matters sentenced the woman to three years in prison, with two suspended, for money fraud, however, the judgment is not final yet.