Transport Ministry's Ex-Leader Scheuer Faces Perjury Allegations
In a shocking turn of events, the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office has filed charges against former Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer for making false statements before the Bundestag's committee of inquiry regarding the failed car toll project. The charges, which Scheuer views as politically motivated, allege that he knowingly gave untruthful testimony in 2020 to the parliamentary committee investigating the car toll scandal.
The case stems from Scheuer's handling of the car toll project, a highly controversial and ultimately failed initiative launched under the German government led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, with Scheuer representing the CSU party. The toll was intended to charge foreign drivers using German highways but was blocked as illegal by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in 2019. Despite warnings and ongoing legal challenges, Scheuer pressed ahead by finalizing a contract with the toll operator consortium in late 2018 before the ECJ ruling, which judges viewed as premature and problematic.
The failure of the car toll cost the German state approximately €243 million in damages paid to the operators after arbitration. The parliamentary inquiry aimed to uncover the political and administrative responsibility for this costly failure. Scheuer denies the false statements charges and has expressed his concerns about the charges in an interview with the newspaper Bild.
The public prosecutor's office has been investigating the case since early May 2022. Scheuer found the motives and timing of the charges inexplicable and sharply criticized the responsible public prosecutor. The charges against Scheuer allege that he made a false statement under oath before the Bundestag's Maut investigative committee.
In his interview with Bild, Scheuer stated that the public prosecutor is using the "so-called media 'summer hole' to file the charges". He also confirmed the move by the authorities and stated that he has been informed that the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office has filed charges against him at the Berlin Regional Court.
This situation highlights legal accountability following a high-profile public policy failure with significant financial consequences and ongoing political controversy in Germany. Scheuer has taken political responsibility for the failure of a car toll in Germany, as stated in the article. However, he maintains his innocence regarding the charges and views them as politically motivated.
The interview with Scheuer was accompanied by a photo from the dts Nachrichtenagentur. The charges against Scheuer were also reported by Bild. This case is expected to generate much attention and debate in the coming weeks as it proceeds through the German legal system.
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