Exclusive
Status: 02/15/2023 5:03 p.m
A confidential situation report from the Department of Defense that dem WDR exists, shows considerable shortcomings in the fight against corruption. Accordingly, the Federal Office for Procurement has not adhered to its own rules in hundreds of cases.
The situation picture that was created in the Ministry of Defense is only six pages long. But its result is worrying. According to the confidential paper dated Jan. 26, which the WDR was able to see that in 450 cases those responsible at the Federal Office for Procurement, of all people, did not comply with their own anti-corruption rules. The giant authority in Koblenz, with its more than 7,000 posts, is involved, among other things, in awarding contracts worth billions to the armaments industry.
In its internal review, the Ministry of Defense identified around 2,500 jobs that the Federal Procurement Office classified as “particularly at risk of corruption”. In other words, civil servants who award contracts or subsidies, have frequent external contact with armaments companies, decide on the use of budget funds or process internal information that is not intended for others.
Exceptions only with more supervision
Since 2004, clear rules have applied to the people who hold these responsible positions. They have to “rotate” every five years, according to a guideline. Either by moving to another position – or by being given new tasks.
Only in exceptional cases, after a thorough examination, are they allowed to continue their job beyond the five years. In these cases, further measures must be taken. For example, through increased supervision or a multiple-eyes principle. All of these measures are intended to prevent bribery and corruption.
Measures only after verification
But in 450 cases, the federal civil servants were allowed to keep their jobs without the federal procurement office “having examined or initiated appropriate rotation or compensation measures”. In other words, the employees continued to carry out their sensitive tasks five years later without even being checked. Only in the course of the current review did the Ministry of Defense initiate a rotation or compensatory measures in 440 cases.
When asked, the Federal Ministry of Defense stressed that the prevention of corruption was of “outstanding importance” in the Federal Procurement Office in particular. Years ago, a contact person was sent for whistleblowers and the officers were made aware of further training events and announcements. In the past ten years, four suspected cases of corruption have become known in which public prosecutors have initiated investigations.
Annual orders in the billions
According to the Federal Court of Auditors, preventing corruption is particularly important in the procurement office. A spokesman for the auditors explains that the office awards orders worth several billion euros every year for the development, testing, procurement and repair of military equipment. “This results in intensive contacts between employees and industry and business. Such tasks are generally to be regarded as particularly vulnerable to corruption.”
Last spring, the auditors of the Federal Court of Auditors published a report that must have felt like a slap in the face in the Ministry of Defense and was the starting point for the situation picture that has now been determined. Even then, the auditors criticized what they considered to be inadequate anti-corruption measures. Individual employees remained in positions particularly vulnerable to corruption for up to 28 years.
The Ministry of Defense now wants to counter the problem with increased technical supervision. According to the internal situation report, 180 samples have already been taken to ensure that the Federal Office for Procurement has been informed in good time before the five-year period expires and that the prescribed tests have been carried out. Around 30 more samples per month are planned in the future.
Increased oversight seems more important than ever these days. After all, there is currently a lot of money to be distributed to the armaments industry thanks to the 100 billion euro special fund for the Bundeswehr.