Saturday, April 03, 2021
Advertised for Corona-Test?
Sauter is probably involved in another affair
In connection with the mask affair, CSU politician Sauter is already being investigated. There may be even more trouble for the members of the state parliament. According to a report, the former Minister of Justice is said to have pushed for the approval of a corona test. Sauter also apparently received a large amount of money from the manufacturer.
According to a report, the CSU state parliament member Alfred Sauter, who is suspected of corruption because of the mask affair, may have merged mandate and business interests in another case. In December 2020, as a member of parliament, Sauter “urgently” asked Prime Minister Markus Söder’s office to campaign for the special approval of a corona rapid test, reported the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” in its weekend edition.
In February, Sauter, as a lawyer, agreed a fee of 300,000 euros with the manufacturer of the test, which, according to the company, was also paid. According to the report, Sauter emailed Söder’s office manager in the State Chancellery in mid-December. It was about a “very important” corona rapid test for the “health of the population” that had to be approved quickly, he wrote.
The State Chancellery should contact the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) responsible for the approval of such tests “as quickly as possible”. The manufacturer of the test, the company GNA Biosolutions from Martinsried near Munich, received a rejection from the federal institute.
Sauter signed his mail to Söders office manager according to “SZ” as a member of the state parliament. In addition, he gave the extension of his state parliament office and his email address from the CSU parliamentary group.
The approval for the rapid tests from GNA Biosolutions was finally granted on December 23rd. Söder’s State Chancellery stated that she had not done anything in response to Sauter’s intervention and that she had not advocated GNA Biosolutions in writing or by telephone.
The State Chancellery also announced: “The State Chancellery was and is not aware of any remuneration for Alfred Sauter in connection with GNA Biosolutions. Everything else is the responsibility of the General Public Prosecutor’s Office, with which the State Government cooperates extensively.”
The Federal Institute BfArM stated according to “SZ” information that it was a “regular special approval procedure”. There was no “third party influence”. After a corresponding technical examination, the permit was granted. The GNA company stated that it was not aware of Sauter’s mail to the State Chancellery.
The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating Sauter in connection with a suspected corruption in mask business. According to media reports, he is said to have received more than one million euros as a lawyer. Sauter denies corrupt behavior. The former Bavarian Minister of Justice has since resigned all party offices and resigned from the CSU parliamentary group in the state parliament.
.