Accused ex-Justice Minister under investigation for perjury claims
Former German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer Charged with Perjury in Maut Scandal
In a significant development, former German Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer has been charged with making false statements related to the Maut (car toll) scandal. The charges, filed by the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office, are connected to an investigation launched in May 2022, and are directly linked to Scheuer's roles in the Maut project [1].
The Maut fiasco, a prestige project for the CSU, resulted in the German state paying 243 million euros in damages to the originally intended operators due to serious errors in budget and procurement law, as alleged by the opposition [1]. The charges against Scheuer stem from an investigation initiated due to suspicion of false testimony in the Bundestag's Inquiry Committee, which was set up to examine possible mistakes made by Scheuer in the Maut project [1].
According to the charges, Scheuer and former State Secretary Gerhard Schulz are suspected of having deliberately made false statements in their testimony before the committee [1]. However, as of the latest update on August 20, 2025, no updates regarding perjury charges or the status of Gerhard Schulz have been found in the available search results.
In October 2020, Scheuer testified before the Inquiry Committee that he had no recollection of the designated Maut operator consortium offering to postpone the contract signing for the Maut until after the expected ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) [1]. Managers of the originally intended Maut operator companies, however, reported that such an offer had been made, which Scheuer had rejected [1].
Under the German Criminal Code, giving false testimony under oath before a court or another authority can result in a fine or imprisonment for three months to five years [1]. The charges against Scheuer will be heard before the Regional Court due to the significance of the case.
Since resigning from his Bundestag mandate in April, Scheuer has founded a consulting firm [1]. The charges come amidst accusations of serious errors in budget and procurement law at the expense of taxpayers. The damages were paid following a settlement after an arbitration procedure.
[1] Source: German Press Agency (DPA)
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