Baden-Württemberg's transport minister, Winfried Hermann, has asked Deutsche Bahn to quickly clear up allegations of alleged corruption in the Stuttgart 21 rail project.
After all, the state is making a significant financial contribution of almost two billion euros for the project and for the new Stuttgart-Ulm route, said the Green politician in Stuttgart on Friday.
"That is why we have a right to information."
In a letter from the head of the Ministry of Transport, he asked Deutsche Bahn for a comprehensive and detailed statement.
The state company denied the allegations.
A spokesman for Deutsche Bahn announced that all information available to the company was followed up in accordance with legal and internal rules.
All indications have been extensively checked.
"Legal violations were not found." Deutsche Bahn will communicate the results of the investigations to the authorized bodies with maximum transparency.
Additional costs of 600 million euros?
The "Financial Times" had previously reported, citing two anonymous whistleblowers, that part of the cost increases in the Stuttgart 21 project, which is currently estimated at 8.2 billion euros, was due to "blatant mismanagement" and corruption.
According to the report, the compliance department of Deutsche Bahn received several notifications in 2015 in which the whistleblower drew attention to the alleged irregularities.
According to her and a colleague's assessment, additional costs of 600 million euros were incurred.
Work was commissioned that was not necessary.
The public prosecutor in Stuttgart initiated an investigation.
Formal investigations have not been started, said a spokeswoman.