In his statement in the investigative committee, Scheuer responded to the allegations of negligence made against him.
He stressed that he would make that decision again today.
Update from January 29th:
Only on Thursday did
Andreas Scheuer
defend himself for hours
in the
investigative committee into the car toll disaster
- but the transport minister from the ranks of the CSU still cannot breathe a sigh of relief: The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) agreed with the opposition on Friday.
She is now allowed to have the log files of the minister's e-mail account evaluated.
This means that the minister's correspondence with his state secretaries and department heads can be checked for completeness, explained the FDP chairman in the committee,
Christian Jung
.
"We still assume that Andreas Scheuer, despite all the statements, did not submit all the documents to the committee," he added.
If the
analysis of the log files
reveals inconsistencies, it is conceivable that “more witnesses will have to be summoned and the final report of the committee of inquiry cannot be published until later in September 2021”.
In the decision of an investigative
judge of
the
BGH
on Friday it is said that the investigative committee must collect evidence by asking the President of the Bundestag to present these log files.
The decision was before the dpa.
It is about three Scheuer MPs.
A complaint against the decision is admissible, on which the Federal Court of Justice decides, according to the decision.
Scheuer has been heavily criticized in the cause for over a year.
Car toll: Scheuer rejects allegations in the investigation committee - "completely surprised"
First report from January 28th:
Berlin -
Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer
has
comprehensively defended
his approach to the
failed car toll
against criticism.
In his opening statement in
the Bundestag investigation committee
, the CSU politician emphasized several times on Thursday that he had acted "to the best of his knowledge and belief".
Scheuer said that he oriented all decisions to the benefit of the federal government.
When he took office in March 2018, he found a “clear legal, budgetary and political implementation mandate” for the car toll.
"This order was binding for me".
The minister again denied allegations that legal risks had not been sufficiently taken into account - also when concluding contracts with the
toll operating companies
at the end of 2018 before an
upcoming ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ)
.
The judges then tipped the toll in June 2019. Scheuer spoke of a “devastating verdict”, which he was “completely surprised”.
Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer: Statement in the committee of inquiry after the failed car toll
Scheuer explained that he had to make a “weighing decision” in December 2018.
One option was to conclude a contract for a legally and economically comprehensively examined project, which would have brought the federal government high three-digit million amounts.
The other option would have been to treat a “minimal” residual legal risk as a priority and not to conclude the contract, but to accept a loss of income for the federal government.
Scheuer said that from today's perspective he would make that decision again.
The
CSU politician
reaffirmed that the
toll was
a project widely supported by the grand coalition of the time and that it had been decided twice by the Bundestag and Bundesrat.
Even in the negotiations on the Jamaica coalition that ultimately broke down in 2017, it was agreed with the FDP and the Greens to continue the toll.
The FDP and the Greens are now accusing Scheuer of negligence.
(dpa)
List of rubric lists: © Kay Nietfeld / dpa