Climate Foundation Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: The clerk claims to have acted out of “fear and panic”.

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Parliamentary committee of inquiry into the MV Climate and Environmental Protection Foundation in Schwerin Castle

Photo: Ulrich Perrey/dpa

In the Schwerin state parliament's committee of inquiry into the heavily criticized Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Climate Foundation, a clerk from the Ribnitz-Damgarten tax office described how it came about that she burned tax documents.

She did it out of pure panic.

Nobody had any influence on her.

“At that time I was dominated by fear and panic,” the witness said haltingly and through tears.

This was the biggest mistake of her life so far.

The clerk working in the “Inheritance and Donations” department burned the foundation’s missing tax files in a fireplace in the spring of 2022 after noticing that they had been with her for some time to be processed.

The process made headlines as “chimney gate.”

When asked whether there had been contact with the state government, the witness clearly answered no.

There was also no expectation that there should be no gift tax for the foundation.

Political pressure built up?

The woman's interrogation took place with limited public access in Schwerin Castle.

There was only an audio broadcast of the session.

The committee chairman had asked the members to only address the clerk as “Mrs. Witness” to protect their identities.

She was accompanied at the meeting by legal counsel.

Criminal proceedings against her were discontinued in autumn 2022 against a monetary condition.

The opposition in the Schwerin state parliament suspects that political pressure has been built up by the state government in the case.

A second clerk from the tax office was to be heard in the afternoon.

The interviews are intended to provide information about how the foundation handles its tax returns and exemption applications.

The climate foundation was founded at the beginning of 2021 by resolution of the state parliament in order to be able to complete Nord Stream 2 while avoiding threats of sanctions from the USA against the companies involved.

The investigative committee is intended to clarify how great the influence of the Russian backers of Nord Stream 2 was on the then SPD/CDU state government when the foundation was founded.

Nord Stream 2, a subsidiary of the Russian state-owned company Gazprom, was the largest donor to the MV Climate Protection Foundation with 20 million euros.

Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) is also heavily criticized for her long-standing Russia-friendly course and her support for the founding of the foundation.

bbr/dpa