Prominent witnesses in the mask investigation committee of the Bavarian state parliament: On Wednesday (from 2 p.m.) ex-Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer (CSU) is to testify there as a witness. Karin Baumüller-Söder, wife of Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), is invited for the evening (6.30 p.m.).
Both are about their role in actual or potential mask business after the outbreak of the corona pandemic in early 2020. At the time, Scheuer had mediated a company from Lower Bavaria to the state government. However, he repeatedly emphasized that he had not received any commissions for it. “I was relieved and happy when, in this emergency, the delivery arrived in Munich to supply Bavaria, which was particularly affected by Corona, especially the clinics and facilities, with the masks that were in short supply at the time,” Scheuer said in retrospect some time ago .
Certificates of suitability were missing
The questioning of Baumüller-Söders and her brother is about an offer from their company at the time to procure around 16 million protective masks. In the end, the deal didn’t go through because the responsible state office for health and food control (LGL) had spoken out against it from a “technical point of view”. Among other things, certificates on the suitability of the masks were missing.
The Baumüller Group is an international company that also has drive and automation systems manufactured in China. According to “Nürnberger Nachrichten”, the company explained its offer of help by calling on companies in Germany from the beginning of 2020 to “purchase and deliver protective masks in particular”.
No commissions were paid
The aim of the committee is in particular to clarify the mask business of the Bavarian state government in the corona pandemic, possible involvement of politicians and sometimes high commission payments to members of parliament. The Ministry of Health has repeatedly emphasized that the Ministry has never paid commissions to elected officials.
The long-time CSU politicians Alfred Sauter and Georg Nüßlein received high commissions for arranging deals with corona masks in 2020. However, the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) finally decided in July that the allegation of bribery against the two was not fulfilled. According to the BGH, the members of parliament should have taken action themselves. The CSU leadership then emphasized again that a legal acquittal would not make up for the “moral guilt”.
