The Opposition of the Greens, FDP and Left applied for a Committee of inquiry for the consultant’s affair in the Ministry of defence. The decisive factor for the establishment of the U-Committee was that an important witness, wanted to be only in writing question. The Federal court of auditors had drawn the cost-effectiveness and legality of the use of external experts in the Ministry of defence in doubt. the
The adviser affair in the Ministry of defence is the case for a parliamentary Committee of inquiry. The Chairpersons of the Greens, FDP and Left party in the defence Committee of the Bundestag agreed on the establishment of such a body. It aims to investigate the use of external experts for a three-digit million amount, under the Secretary of defense Ursula of the Leyen (CDU). The voices of three of the four opposition groups to the Committee.
the affair in August was Triggered by a report of the German Federal court of auditors, which doubted the efficiency and legality of the consultants use in the Ministry. In the years 2015 and 2016, there are at least 200 million euros were spent for external expertise. It is the allegations of the waste of tax revenues and cronyism stand in the room.
Prior to the decision of the Opposition had taken from the Leyen on Wednesday for the second Time in a special session of the defence Committee, a number of hours to the affair position. Your former state Secretary Katrin Suder stayed away from the meeting but wanted to answer members ‘ questions only in writing. That gave the opposition groups the decision to opt for a U-Committee, as these witnesses can appear in court.
Von der Leyen, had taken in the last legislature, Suder by the consulting firm McKinsey to the Ministry, in the defence sector to clean up. Suder resigned this year, shortly before the start of the consultant affair. Your statement is held by the Opposition, especially as regards the allegation of nepotism is essential.
Von der Leyen made in the margins of the Committee is clear that they have no influence on the appearance of Links. “I am in favour of the employees of the Ministry responsible,” she said. The use of external consultants, the CDU-politician defended. “It is undisputed that, we need the projects themselves, and the advice of experts from the outside,” she said. It is largely the topic of digitization. Because there was a “considerable backlog” and time pressure, whether external Expertise is necessary.
admitted, However, von der Leyen omissions in your house when dealing with the public procurement law. To prevent this in the future, have been improved the control mechanisms, especially with regard to the use of subcontractors.
The defense expert of the left party, Alexander Neu, called the remarks of the Leyens in the Committee “inadequate”. The operations would “always opaque, the more you dig”.
The Green spokesman for security policy, Tobias Lindner, said: “After the second special session of the defence Committee, we have come to the conclusion that we can clear up the affair, only with a Committee of inquiry.” It had shown that “it is necessary to hear, as a Parliament, witnesses directly.” The Ministry had carried out its own investigation “only very limited” and “in questioning relevant issues are hidden”.
FDP: investigation Committee “is essential”
The establishment of a Committee of inquiry, a minority is right, for only a quarter of the votes of the defence Committee are necessary. Green, Left and the FDP together eleven of the 36 members of Parliament, have thus more than the necessary nine votes.
The FDP had called for the establishment of a Committee of inquiry already on Tuesday, as “inevitable”. The greens and the Left were there’s something. The AfD had already applied for four weeks ago a Committee of inquiry, was then a failure with the push.
In the investigation of defence, the defence Committee transforms into a Committee of inquiry, then, is so identical. This special arrangement is due to the special sensitivity of security issues.
