Udo Proksch

Udo Proksch (born Rudolf Proksch; 29 May 1934 – 27 June 2001), also known under the designer name Serge Kirchhofer, was an Austrian businessman, designer, socialite and convicted murderer. A prominent figure in Viennese postwar society, he became known as an eyewear designer, entrepreneur and owner of the famous Viennese confectioner Demel. He was also closely associated with the politically influential Club 45, a social circle connected to leading figures of the Austrian Social Democratic milieu. In 1991, Proksch was convicted in connection with the sinking of the freighter Lucona, which had been destroyed by a time bomb in the Indian Ocean on 23 January 1977. Six people were killed and six survived. The cargo, declared as valuable uranium-processing equipment and insured for more than 200 million Austrian schillings, was later shown to have consisted largely of scrap metal. The case became one of the largest political scandals in postwar Austria, involving years of obstruction, political intervention and a parliamentary investigation. Proksch was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment and died in prison in 2001.