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Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer as a witness in the toll investigation committee
Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
Andreas Scheuer (CSU) still does not want to know anything about any misconduct in the scandal surrounding the award of the car toll that has failed.
The transport minister again denied having committed legal violations and taken too great risks for the taxpayer.
He proceeded "to the best of his knowledge and belief," said Scheuer on Thursday in his last interview as a witness before the parliamentary committee of inquiry.
“I understand the displeasure about this project too.
But the fact is that we acted lawfully, «said the CSU politician.
He had complied with budget and procurement law and only tried to put the Bundestag resolution to introduce the toll into force.
As Minister of Transport, Scheuer had already signed contracts to collect the toll at the end of 2018, even before there was final legal certainty about the toll.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) then overturned the plans in June 2019.
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Scheuer now rejects allegations that the planned operators of the toll had made an offer to wait for the ECJ ruling to be signed with the contracts.
The operators are now demanding 560 million euros in damages after the federal government terminated the contracts immediately after the judgment.
The Greens had already called for the resignation of the minister before Scheuer was questioned.
Scheuer had "lied to parliament and broke budgetary and public procurement law several times," said the chairman of the Greens in the committee, Oliver Krischer.
FDP does not see allegations invalidated
Even afterwards, Krischer was dissatisfied.
It could not be beaten in hubris if Scheuer presented it as if everything went right, said the Green, according to the dpa news agency on the sidelines of the survey.
It is unbelievable that the minister responsible for the disaster is rejecting all responsibility.
Meanwhile, FDP chairman Christian Jung said that Scheuer had not been able to refute the allegations that he and his ministry had violated public procurement law, budget law and European law with the car toll.
SPD chairwoman Kirsten Lühmann spoke after the hearing of the impression of an "organized irresponsibility" in the ministry.
In contrast, Scheuer received support from his party colleague Ulrich Lange.
Scheuer is "clearly relieved" and has implemented laws stringently.
There was also no inadequate organization in the ministry, said Lange.
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fek / dpa / AFP