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Berlin (AP) - Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) has admitted mistakes in her house in dealing with the ammunition affair at the Special Forces Command (KSK).
After a questioning in the Defense Committee on the incidents about the long concealed return of withheld ammunition, she made it clear on Wednesday that she initially did not want to draw any personal consequences.
Inspector General Eberhard Zorn, who was with them, admitted to the specialist politicians that he had deleted details of the now heavily criticized events from an army report.
“He also outlined his motives.
And he also clearly admitted that from today's perspective that was a mistake on his part, »said Kramp-Karrenbauer - without wanting to answer questions from journalists.
She announced that further information would be sent to the committee by next week.
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The KSK has been shaken by several scandals in recent years, including right-wing extremist incidents.
The current KSK commander Markus Kreitmayr took over the command in 2018 and is supposed to lead a reform process.
The brigadier general is now charged with the fact that from March to May last year his soldiers were able to throw hoarded or possibly stolen ammunition into boxes without any consequences.
"The matter is about the process that - ordered by the commander of the KSK - a collection campaign took place from March to May on ammunition that had not been found until now," said Kramp-Karrenbauer.
Motivation and legal bases are currently being clarified.
In dealing with ammunition, the KSK showed "a lack of discipline and also the use of special rules", which are problematic.
It is also about possible violations of public procurement law and regulations for secondary employment.
Kramp-Karrenbauer also made it clear that she had not made a decision to replace Kreitmayr and that she wanted to continue working with anger.
«The fact that in a report of the army about the withdrawal action, about the legal evaluation and also about further procedures and that was deposited there, but this report was not included in the information in the form of an overall report to the Committee, the Inspector General admitted today, ”she said verbatim.
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Defense politicians of the opposition criticized the way it was dealt with.
“The Inspector General had to admit that he deliberately kept this amnesty from the Defense Committee.
He couldn't give any reasonable reasons for it », said Tobias Lindner (Greens).
The Defense Committee wanted to see the original reports.
Tobias Pflüger (left) spoke of a “deception”.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP) demanded that the KSK should be completely reorganized and strategically and directly linked to the ministry.
Rüdiger Lucassen (AfD) said: "I wouldn't be surprised if the head of the Inspector General is up for discussion."
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210224-99-576016 / 2