This comment was important to Winfried Brechmann when the head of the Bavarian Ministry of Health recently testified in the state parliament; in the committee of inquiry into the mask affairs. “One does not enrich oneself from the plight of other people.” Brechmann’s displeasure was directed at the long-standing CSU politicians Georg Nüßlein and Alfred Sauter, who had cashed in heavily on mask shops. And Andrea Tandler, daughter of the former CSU General Secretary Gerold Tandler, who benefited much more from mask deals at the beginning of the pandemic. With commissions totaling 48 million euros; together with a partner.
In contrast to Nüßlein and Sauter, who are known all over the country, Andreas Tandler has so far remained invisible. She was to appear twice as a witness in the U-Committee of the state parliament, both times she called in sick. Now the Munich PR entrepreneur has to undergo a medical examination. The committee of inquiry ordered this, as its chairman Winfried Bausback (CSU) confirmed when asked by SZ. The U-Committee wants to know whether Andrea Tandler is in fact in such poor health that she cannot appear in the state parliament.
According to the former Minister of Justice Bausback, the U-Committee commissioned a forensic medical report. The forensic medical service in Bavaria is an independent state medical expert service for the judicial authorities. The doctors working there are “free in their expert work and not bound by instructions”. This can be found in the two ministries of health and justice.
Andrea Tandler avoids the public
It should soon be clear whether Andrea Tandler has to appear in the state parliament or not. According to reports, her lawyer has signaled “willingness to cooperate”, as can be heard from parliamentary circles. That would mean that Tandler would not object to the investigation that had been ordered. What comes out of that remains to be seen. A spokesman for Andrea Tandler did not want to comment on the process on Tuesday.
Florian von Brunn, faction and state leader of the SPD, is tough on Andrea Tandler because of her non-appearance so far. “I think it’s shabby to collect almost 50 million euros at the expense of taxpayers, but then not even have the decency and the backbone to face the committee of inquiry.” That says it all. And you can see with which people in the CSU business would be done. The SPD leader is alluding to the fact that Andrea Tandler had arranged mask deals for the Swiss company Emix with German ministries via CSU channels.
The Munich PR entrepreneur could refuse to testify in the U-Committee, since she is being investigated in Munich and Berlin because of the mask deals. Nüßlein and Sauter, against whom proceedings are also pending, have already done so. If she made an appearance on the U-Committee, even for a short time, Tandler would have to assume that she would be photographed and filmed because of the public interest in her person and her case, so that pictures of her would go through the media and be permanently found on the Internet.
While there are plenty of photos of Nüßlein and Sauter as (ex-)politicians, this has not been the case with Andrea Tandler so far. She avoids the public. Her partner Darius N., who collected half of the 48 million euros in mask commissions, has already appeared in the U-Committee and refused to testify there. Photos of him did not go through the media. But he plays a much smaller role in the mask deals than Andrea Tandler. Like Sauter and Nüßlein, the two reject all criminal allegations made against them in the mask affairs and assume that the investigations will be stopped.