(new: With reaction SPD)
BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – The Union wants to target today’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in a committee of inquiry of the Bundestag for the political processing of the tax scandal of the Hamburg Warburg-Bank. There are many contradictions and inconsistencies regarding his role as former Hamburg mayor, which even a parliamentary committee of inquiry of the Hamburg Parliament has not yet been able to clear up, said Matthias Hauer, chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the finance committee, on Tuesday in Berlin. Since the traffic light coalition has repeatedly prevented Scholz from being invited before the finance committee, an investigative committee of the Bundestag is inevitable.
Union faction Vice Mathias Middelberg (CDU) announced that the committee of inquiry should be requested in the first week of parliament after the Easter holidays. He could probably start work before the summer break.
According to the information, the committee is to clarify why in 2016 and 2017 the Hamburg tax authority should initially refrain from recovering claims against the bank in the amount of 47 and 43 million, contrary to original plans. “Who is politically responsible for the fact that Hamburg was the only one of the 16 federal states in 2016 and 2017 that did not want to claim back tax refunds from “Cum-Ex” transactions that were wrongly paid?” asked Middelberg.
During this time, Scholz had repeatedly received Warburg Bank co-partner Christian Olearius in the town hall, who was already being investigated for serious tax fraud in connection with “Cum-Ex” transactions.
Scholz had successively admitted the meetings after they became known in 2020, but categorically ruled out any influence on the tax case – even if, according to his own statements, he can no longer remember the talks.
According to Middelberg, the investigative committee should check whether these memory gaps are credible. In contrast to criminal investigations, the principle “in dubio pro reo” (in case of doubt for the accused) does not apply here. The Union is about clarifying the situation. With regard to Scholz’s statements, everyone must then judge for themselves whether they think it is credible.
“We believe that the evidence for political influence in the Warburg tax case has become increasingly rich,” he said. There is no other plausible explanation for the change in opinion of the Hamburg tax authorities. Hauer said Scholz himself should have the greatest interest in making a clean sweep. It’s about his credibility.
The Hamburg CDU member of the Bundestag Franziska Hoppermann said that a committee of inquiry in the Bundestag had completely different possibilities of investigating depth than the committee of inquiry of the Hamburg Parliament. “It’s not a purely Hamburg matter, but the implementation of federal law,” emphasized Middelberg. After all, federal tax revenues were specifically affected.
According to a court ruling, the bank finally settled all outstanding tax reclaims in 2020, but is still trying to get the money back through legal channels.
The SPD accused the Union of wanting to set up an investigative committee for “tactical party interests”. “The topic has been fully processed and transparent in parliament and society,” said Katja Mast, the parliamentary director of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, the German Press Agency. “The Union has no interest in knowledge, but follows party tactical interests. It makes claims that have long been refuted.” The committee of inquiry set up in Hamburg in 2020 has clarified all questions and there is no new interest in knowledge, said Mast. “CDU leader Friedrich Merz remains true to himself: Any means are right for him.”
In the case of “cum-ex” transactions, blocks of shares were shifted back and forth by several participants around the dividend record date with (“cum”) and without (“ex”) a right to a dividend. As a result, tax offices reimbursed capital gains taxes that had not been paid at all. The state suffered billions in damage.
The investigative committee of the Hamburg parliament has been dealing with the case of the Warburg Bank and the role of leading Hamburg SPD politicians for almost two and a half years. So far, no evidence of political influence has been provided.
In the Bundestag, the CDU and CSU alone have at least a quarter of the votes required to convene a committee of inquiry. The other factions are invited to work on the enlightenment, said Hauer. The CDU and CSU wanted to submit the application alone.
The left is examining support, said its financial policy spokesman Christian Görke. “One thing is clear: the contradictions and open questions must be clarified. A committee of inquiry seems necessary, since the current Chancellor continues to refuse to face the questions in the Bundestag Finance Committee.”/hoe/fi/DP/jha