Wirecard boss Braun in the endless loop

The committee of inquiry, which is supposed to uncover the Wirecard scandal, hears the former CEO Markus Braun as a witness. The statement becomes a farce. The imprisoned ex-manager only repeats a single sentence, annoying MPs.

"I'm currently living in the Augsburg JVA," says Markus Braun, which sounds a bit like tribulation. However, the 51-year-old does not appear like a broken man when he answered questions – or rather: should be – in front of the investigative committee on Thursday to clarify the Wirecard scandal. Because the former CEO of the former Dax group consistently refuses to answer questions. Soon he falls into an endless loop of the same sentence over and over again. "I won't answer that question today."

The Austrian, who is suspected of being largely responsible for the largest accounting fraud of the German post-war period, first makes a personal statement that takes less than ten minutes. He lets the members of the Bundestag know that he has confidence “in the independence and objectivity of the investigative authorities”, in particular “that the Munich public prosecutor will clarify the case comprehensively and by that I mean the whereabouts of the embezzled company funds.” More than three are said to have disappeared Billions of euros. It has not yet been possible to determine where the money is.

"I offered the public prosecutor's office cooperation"

"So far" he has not commented personally on the allegations, explains Braun, and then has a rather surprising message ready for the public: He has offered the prosecution from the beginning "my cooperation. I still stand by that today." This offer applies "first and foremost to the Munich public prosecutor's office". Before the committee he will now "not comment on the facts". Maybe next year, he adds later.

Without going into his own role, Braun defends other people involved in the scandal. He had "at no time made determinations or received indications that authorities, supervisory bodies or politicians had behaved incorrectly, in breach of duty or in any form unfairly," reports the former Wirecard boss. This also applies to the "massively deceived" supervisory board as a controlling body and to the auditors, although he only mentions the name Ernst & Young (EY) later. "In the end, independent judges will decide who bears legal responsibility for the collapse of the Wirecard AG company."

It sounds as if Braun only noticed in the course of the reporting in early summer 2020 that Wirecard had improved its balance sheet by 1.9 billion euros. In an email to the U-Committee, the Munich Public Prosecutor Hildegard Bäumler-Hösl described the failed top manager as a strategist of a hierarchical system based on the principle of "divide and rule".

But Braun does not leave the impression of a dominant power man on Thursday, as he has been described many times. He looks like a failed man who has long since lost his skin and who has given himself completely to his lawyer. The committee had expected that Braun would take advantage of the right to refuse to testify – he faces many years in prison. But that he insists so hard on it causes horror and anger in the committee.

"I'm not answering any questions today"

Braun says about his comprehensive right to refuse to testify: "That means that I won't answer any further questions today." From now on, the former CEO, who is accused of fraud in the gang, no longer makes a single statement about specific issues that the committee wants to clarify. With a few exceptions, he constantly says sentences like: "I will not comment on my statement today."

Braun refuses to provide information about Wirecard, other managers of the group, speculation about secret service contacts, his fugitive ex-colleague Jan Marsalek and his alleged relationships with the Chancellery and other active or former politicians. "You are addressing a lot of issues that are relevant to the procedure," he says in a monotonous voice. Even when asked by CDU MP Matthias Hauer whether he would like to explain "in general" how certain financial transactions work and how he stands for corporate governance, Braun explains: "I have made my statement, I will stick to the statement."

Appeals to show respect for the Bundestag and the public are just as unsuccessful as the threat of a fine or the admonition of the CSU parliamentarian Hans Michelbach to observe the "principle of an honorable businessman". So Braun will not "increase its credibility". In the public interest, the ex-Wirecard boss should have testified "to ward off damage to our country". Braun says: "I will not deviate from my statement today." Michaelbach's SPD colleague Cansel Kiziltepe wants to know from Braun whether it is clear to him that he has "caused great damage to our economic location" and "destroyed trust in institutions". The witness throws his record back on: "I'll stick to my statement."

Was Braun in the Chancellery or not?

The FDP MP Florian Toncar, a lawyer, explains why the committee has to continue drilling, even though it seems pointless. The catalog of questions must be worked through "in order to be able to follow up on the next steps that you can safely count on". That also rolls off brown. He always listens carefully. Sometimes he instructs a parliamentarian: "The question has already been asked."

Left-wing MP Fabio De Masi is very annoyed and lets the witness feel it like no other in the committee. "At the moment it's easy money for his lawyer," says De Masi. Once he rubs Braun over the mouth and makes it clear that the members of the committee decided "and not someone who was transferred from the prison".

Danyal Bayaz from the Greens does the trick of getting information from Braun. He asks whether the witness has ever been to the Bundestag. "No," says Braun. "And in the Chancellery?" The ex-Wirecard boss replies: "I refer to my statement." Bayaz lets out a kind of cheer. It is meant ironically. However, it is now clear: Braun should have been in the Chancellery.