Allegations against the former transport minister Scheuer - Government department under investigation
In a significant development, the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office has charged former German Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer with perjury ("uneidliche Falschaussage") in relation to his testimony before the parliamentary investigation committee on the failed highway toll scheme, known as the Maut investigative committee.
The charges against Scheuer stem from allegations that he knowingly made false statements in 2020 during the investigation into the Maut project's failure, which was declared illegal by the European Court of Justice in 2019. The charges relate to an incident that occurred during a meeting on November 29, 2018.
The highway toll program, strongly associated with Scheuer and his party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), collapsed following the European Court of Justice ruling. As a result, the government was forced to pay a substantial compensation (~243 million euros) to the contracted toll company, Autoticket, following arbitration.
Scheuer has rejected the accusations, calling them politically motivated and intends to defend himself against the charges. No final court ruling has been announced, and the proceedings are in the phase following the formal indictment as of August 2025.
Meanwhile, the charges against Scheuer's former State Secretary, Gerhard Schulz, are also related to their statements before the Maut investigative committee. However, the charges against Scheuer are not related to Schulz's current role or the current role of the Federal Ministry of Transport.
Both Scheuer and Schulz have denied the charges against them. A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Transport has asked for understanding and declined to comment on the matter. No comment has been made by Gerhard Schulz regarding the charges.
The charges against Scheuer and Schulz were filed with the Berlin Regional Court I. The indictment alleges that Scheuer and Schulz stated, contrary to their actual memory, that they could not remember an offer to postpone the signing of contracts. No further details about the defense strategy of Andreas Scheuer have been disclosed.
This development marks a significant turn in the ongoing investigation related to the Maut investigative committee, and the outcome of the trial remains to be seen.
[1] Bild [2] Tagesspiegel
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