For minutes, the representative of the state parliament office first has to read out what’s going on today Not may take place. Former Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) is a witness in the mask investigation committee on Friday. And after the formalities – “Jens Georg Spahn, member of the Bundestag, Platz der Republik 1, Berlin” – it’s about the approval of the Federal Cabinet to testify. Spahn’s successor Karl Lauterbach (SPD) issued: only Bavarian facts, nothing about the “executive core area” of the federal government, nothing that would reveal details about the decision-making process in the then Merkel government, would bring disadvantages for the security of the Federal Republic. things like that. Sticking to it is “a question of loyalty to the federal government”, says committee chairman Winfried Bausback (CSU) – even for “convinced federalists”. But despite the corset, there are many questions, Spahn answers. The testimony will take two hours.
The focus is on the well-known mask stories about the entrepreneur Andrea Tandler, daughter of the former CSU grandee Gerold Tandler. At the beginning of the pandemic, she brokered mask purchases between the Swiss trading company Emix and German health ministries, including in Bavaria and the federal government – with the help of CSU channels, especially MEP Monika Hohlmeier. With a partner, Tandler collected 48 million euros in commission for this. She herself has not yet come to the U-Committee as a witness, citing health reasons; the mask millionaire is now to be examined by a forensic doctor. Hohlmeier was on the committee in May. It was “an imperative task for us MPs” to pass on requests “that potentially save lives,” she said. She only found out about Tandler’s commissions later; as things stood, Hohlmeier himself hadn’t received any money or even asked for it.
“Unfortunately, I can’t ask you about the billion-euro deals in the federal government”
Specifically, the initiation of the deals happened via SMS references from Hohlmeier to the offer from her friend Tandler, also to “dear Jens”. This is one of the many objections that Bausback can now make to Spahn during the survey, since Bavaria is mentioned in that SMS. Only: Spahn is not allowed to say anything about federal business. And to the Bavarians he can hardly contribute any memories with news value. “It was wild west in the truest sense of the word on the mask market worldwide,” he says – nothing to get hold of at first. Many colleagues from parliaments have given information about possible providers, “on a daily basis the e-mail box almost overflowed”. The vast majority, 99.9 percent, would have done so out of “patriotic understanding”, he was annoyed with “a few” who had taken advantage of it. “Explicitly not Mrs. Hohlmeier.” It is clear to him that intermediaries want to earn something. On the Tandler case: “I couldn’t imagine that there were margins of this magnitude. I think it’s shabby.” What was previously unknown: After Hohlmeier’s first SMS, Spahn called Andrea Tandler directly. details? No permission to testify.
“Unfortunately, I can’t ask you about the billion-dollar deals in the federal government,” regretted Deputy Committee Chairman Florian Siekmann (Greens). The criticism here is that Spahn’s house later bought 100 million Emix masks when the market was no longer tight and cheaper offers were available. Siekmann said after the meeting: “Karl Lauterbach must finally take care of the clarification of the tax money burning in the Emix deals.” Otherwise the federal government would need its own sub-committee.