What role does the Chancellor play in the Wirecard scandal?
Angela Merkel has to face a committee of inquiry on Friday.
There are accusations from a left-wing politician.
Update from April 23, 4:50 p.m.:
Hans Michelbach from the CSU is distancing himself from his party friend Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. “There are just things that you don't do, namely that you use a Chancellor for your own business,” said the Bundestag member after Angela Merkel's testimony in the committee of inquiry into the Wirecard scandal. He apologized to the Chancellor for his party.
SPD chairman Jens Zimmermann said that Guttenberg had pursued financial interests as a Wirecard lobbyist. His Green colleague Danyal Bayaz complained that the “unrestrained lobbying” at Wirecard culminated in Guttenberg's visit to Merkel. There were already many indications at the time that something was wrong at Wirecard. Merkel should have been more careful not to take Guttenberg off his feet. Bayaz called for stricter rules for this kind of “subtle” lobbying. FDP chairman Florian Toncar called the Chancellor's commitment to Wirecard on her trip to China a mistake.
Update from April 23, 3:37 p.m.:
Fabio de Masi continues to raise serious allegations against Angela Merkel and her confidants. The left-wing politician tweeted that the Chancellor's statement that she only got involved with Wirecard in China because of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has been refuted. Rather, the company was "a priority for the German government in the German-Chinese financial dialogue".
Merkel is "unpretentious enough to pretend to be sympathetic ignorance", but she is only "difficult to believe".
In addition, de Masi writes: “The Chancellor is not interested in the fact that there are allegations of espionage against ex-Austrian agents from Marsalek's environment.
There are also indications that the security technology of the federal government is offered by a company, the owner of which is supposed to have connections to Marsalek!
The member of the Bundestag also demands that "the business relationships of the wife of the economic advisor to the Chancellor in China" must be clarified.
Merkel in the Wirecard Committee: Chancellor reprimands "entire German supervisory side"
Update from April 23, 1.40 p.m.:
Chancellor Angela Merkel indirectly criticized the work of the financial supervisory authority Bafin and other authorities in the Wirecard case. Merkel said on Friday in the Bundestag committee of inquiry that the “entire German supervisory side” was objectively not set up well enough. “That is very clear.” In addition to the Bafin, in the Wirecard case, for example, the auditor supervision Apas is also criticized. Merkel said that the course that had now also been set in terms of personnel showed that the "correct conclusions" had been drawn.
In the course of coming to terms with the scandal, the Bafin management had to vacate their posts. The federal government has also initiated reforms to learn from the Wirecard case. This is how the Bafin should be strengthened. Merkel said the Wirecard case was a setback for the reputation of the financial center Germany. Trust must be regained. The supervisory authorities would also have to be modernized in view of the rapid digital progress. When it comes to regulation, Wirecard was on the cutting edge between technology companies and financial institutions. Things happened in the "slipstream" that one would not have thought possible. The Wirecard case has nothing to do with what is understood by “honorable merchant”.
Merkel in the Wirecard Committee: Left smells "smoke candles" - "to take the Chancellor out of the line of fire"
Update from April 23, 12:35 p.m.:
The opposition doubts some of the statements made by Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Wirecard investigative committee.
“The Chancellor does not remember any SMS from Mr.
Guttenberg.
But he writes about it ... “, tweeted left finance expert Fabio de Masi at noon.
He also warned against "smoke candles" from the Union.
The sister parties shot themselves at Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg "to take the Chancellor out of the line of fire," wrote de Masi.
"However, long before the discussion about Wirecard, there were inquiries from the BMF as to whether there was something about Wirecard that the Chancellor had ready to sign."
The FDP politician Florian Toncar was also critical.
"Chancellor thinks that # Röller has cleared up everything that had to be cleared up regarding his wife and his contacts with #Wirecard," he said in the short message service with a view to Merkel's economic advisor Lars-Hendrik Röller.
"In view of the gaps in his memory before the parliamentary committee of inquiry, I have a completely different opinion."
Update from April 23, 12 noon:
Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her commitment to the then Dax company Wirecard on a trip to China * in 2019.
"Wirecard AG did not enjoy any special treatment during the trip," said the CDU politician on Friday in the committee of inquiry into the alleged fraud scandal involving the fintech company in the Bundestag.
Wirecard's efforts to enter the Chinese market were in line with the goals of the federal government.
It is normal for the Federal Government and the Chancellor to stand up for the interests of German business in bilateral contacts.
Merkel emphasized: "In spite of all the press reports, there was no reason to assume serious irregularities at Wirecard."
Update from April 23, 10:00 a.m .:
In these minutes, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is to testify in the Wirecard investigative committee - judging by TV images, Merkel is still on the way to the meeting room in the Paul Löbe House not far from the Bundestag building.
Merkel in the Wirecard Committee: CSU man attacks Guttenberg and three ministers - "Insulted me"
Update from April 23, 9.50 a.m.:
Before the questioning of Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) in the Wirecard investigation committee, the CSU financial politician Hans Michelbach sharply criticized his party colleague Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg for his lobbying work in the Chancellery. "You can't hire a Chancellor for business," Michelbach told the
Handelsblatt
on Friday. "Especially not if you haven't checked the business model yourself and have pocketed 900,000 euros for it," added Michelbach.
The Wirecard scandal "cost him friendship with Guttenberg," said the CSU politician, who is also the deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee of inquiry into the events surrounding the alleged billion-dollar fraud of the former Dax group.
"He berated me for not supporting him."
The CSU finance politician drew a positive balance of the work of the committee.
This revealed "how such an incomparable attack on the market economy was possible," said Michelbach.
If everything is added up - the losses for investors, the damage for creditors - then a total of at least 22 billion euros has been lost so far.
And the sum will probably continue to grow with the bankruptcy proceedings.
"That such a thing was possible, one has to say: Nothing worked on a broad level, politics and financial supervision made it too easy for the fraudsters." the financial supervisory authority Bafin had been informed. In particular, Michelbach criticized Finance State Secretary Jörg Kukies.
This was "a very active part of the failure", but also Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht (both SPD) and Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) should be "asked about their responsibility for the disaster," said the CSU politician .
Merkel has to face Wirecard committee of inquiry - Minister: "Absurd fairy tale"
First report:
Berlin - Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) will be questioned on Friday (10:00 a.m.) in the investigative committee about the accounting scandal at the former Dax company Wirecard.
She campaigned for Wirecard on a trip to China in September 2019.
At that time, critical media reports on the scandalous company were already known - according to a government spokesman, Merkel knew nothing of possible serious irregularities at Wirecard at the time of the trip.
Wirecard scandal: Chancellor Merkel is questioned by the investigative committee
The members of the committee of inquiry also want to ask Merkel about lobbying in the Chancellery.
Before the trip to China, the Chancellor had a visit from former Economics Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, who worked as a lobbyist for Wirecard and referred Merkel to the company.
Wirecard wanted to expand its business in China at the time.
The Chancellor's commitment was worth gold for the scandalous company, say the members of the investigative committee - also because Wirecard was able to counter critics with it.
In this way, Merkel * unintentionally contributed to an extension of the alleged balance sheet fraud.
Government responsibility for Wirecard scandal?
Scholz speaks of an "absurd fairy tale"
Wirecard then admitted last summer that 1.9 billion euros could not be found on the balance sheet.
The Munich public prosecutor assumes that Wirecard has been falsifying its balance sheets since at least 2015.
SPD Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz had already testified in the investigative committee on Thursday and spoke of an "absurd fairy tale".
The finance minister said: "The responsibility for this large-scale fraud does not lie with the federal government." The company had evidently acted with a high level of criminal energy.
(lks / dpa)
* Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
