The German Federal Ministry of Transport is declining to comment on the indictment brought against former Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer by Berlin prosecutors. A spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that the Ministry would refrain from public statements on the matter.
Responding to inquiries regarding potential support for Scheuer in the proceedings, the spokesperson clarified that the indictment pertains to Scheuer as an individual and not to the Ministry itself.
The Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office announced earlier that it has filed charges against both Scheuer and former State Secretary Gerhard Schulz before the Berlin Regional Court. The charges relate to testimony given before the committee investigating the planned highway toll. According to the indictment, both men allegedly stated they had no recollection of a proposal, made during a meeting on November 29, 2018, by the toll system operators to delay the contract signing until a ruling from the European Court of Justice. Prosecutors claim this testimony contradicted their actual recollection of events.
The indictment alleges these were deliberate false statements. Both accused deny the allegations. Scheuer told “Bild” newspaper on Wednesday that the indictment was “incomprehensible” to him, further suggesting the timing and motivation behind the charges appeared politically driven.
