Transport Minister Scheuer faces perjury charges
In a significant turn of events, the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office has filed charges against former Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer for suspected false statement under oath before the Bundestag's toll investigation committee.
The charges stem from an alleged false statement made by Scheuer in October 2020, concerning a potential offer from toll operators to postpone the contract signing until after the European Court of Justice's ruling. Scheuer stated that he was not aware of any such offer, a claim that was contradicted by the operators themselves. Managers from the intended toll-operating companies stated in the committee that Scheuer had rejected such an offer.
The failed car toll, initially promoted as the "foreigner toll," was stopped as illegal by the ECJ in 2019. The opposition has accused Scheuer of serious errors in budget and procurement law at the expense of taxpayers, resulting in 243 million euros in damages for the operating companies.
However, the former State Secretary Gerhard Schulz has also been charged in relation to the case. It is not yet certain whether there will even be a main trial and conviction in the case. If found guilty, the punishment for giving a false statement as a witness or expert before a court or other body authorized to take evidence under oath is a fine or imprisonment of up to five years, according to the Criminal Code.
ARD legal expert Christoph Kehlbach expects a mild sentence in the event of a conviction, with sentences of up to two years potentially being suspended. The trial against Scheuer will take place before the Regional Court due to the significance of the case.
The charges have been met with criticism from some quarters, with CSU parliamentary group leader Alexander Hoffmann stating that no false statement was found during the parliamentary investigation committee. The exact date for the trial has not been announced yet.
August 2025 saw the end of the car toll, a prestige project of the CSU, with the project ending in 243 million euros in damages. As the legal process unfolds, former Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer now faces potential legal consequences.
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