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Andreas Scheuer (CSU) still does not want to know anything about the misconduct in the scandal surrounding the toll award of the failed car. The Transport Minister once again denied having committed legal infractions and having assumed too great risks for the taxpayer.
He proceeded “to the best of his knowledge and belief,” Scheuer said Thursday in his last questioning as a witness before the parliamentary commission of inquiry.
“I also understand the dislike for this project. But the fact is that we act in a lawful way, “said the CSU politician. It complied with budget and public procurement law and only tried to enforce the Bundestag’s resolution to introduce the toll.
As Transport Minister, Scheuer had already signed contracts to collect the toll at the end of 2018, even before there was definitive legal certainty about the toll. The Court of Justice of the European Communities (ECJ) revoked the plans in June 2019.
Scheuer now rejects allegations that the intended toll operators had made an offer to await the ECJ’s decision to sign the contracts. The operators are now demanding 560 million euros in damages after the federal government terminated the contracts immediately after the ruling.
The Greens had already called for the minister’s resignation before Scheuer was questioned. Scheuer had “lied to parliament and repeatedly violated budget and public procurement law,” Greens chairman Oliver Krischer said on the committee.
FDP does not see the accusations invalidated
Even afterwards, Krischer was dissatisfied. He couldn’t be defeated in arrogance if Scheuer presented him as if everything had gone well, Green said, according to the dpa news agency on the sidelines of the poll. It is incredible that the minister responsible for the disaster is rejecting all responsibility.
Meanwhile, FDP President Christian Jung said Scheuer had been unable to refute allegations that he and his ministry had violated public procurement law, budget law and European law with car tolls. SPD President Kirsten Lühmann spoke after the hearing of the impression of “organized irresponsibility” at the ministry.
On the contrary, Scheuer received the support of his party colleague Ulrich Lange. Scheuer is “clearly relieved” and has strictly enforced the laws. There was also no inappropriate organization at the ministry, Lange said.
