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Mannheim / Berlin (dpa) - In the affair of allegedly paid mask lobbyists from the Bundestag, allegations are now being made against a CDU member from Baden-Württemberg.
The Mannheim CDU MP Nikolas Löbel is said to have demanded and received a commission for arranging protective masks, according to the news magazine “Der Spiegel”.
He admitted mistakes in this regard.
"As a member of the Bundestag, I should have acted more sensitively in my business activities, especially in the particular pandemic situation," he said on Friday when asked.
"I blame myself for this mistake."
According to his own account, the Mannheim parliamentarian's company had collected commissions of around 250,000 euros because it brokered purchase contracts for masks between a Baden-Württemberg supplier and two private companies in Heidelberg and Mannheim.
Löbel announced that it was a "remuneration that is customary in the market" for the Projektmanagement-GmbH.
He acted for the GmbH and not in the exercise of his mandate.
According to "Spiegel", almost two dozen MPs could have got involved in the mask business, be it by advertising for suppliers to the federal government or by working to ensure that companies get their money.
With the exception of Löbel, all politicians have denied having received commissions or other considerations.
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Löbel had to take harsh criticism, especially from his own coalition partner at the federal level.
"Members of parliament receive financial compensation with the diet, which ensures their economic independence," said the parliamentary manager of the SPD parliamentary group, Carsten Schneider, to "Spiegel".
"Anyone who enriches themselves personally and takes advantage of their political position in an emergency in the health industry behaves like an unscrupulous vulture."
For some, "the moral compass is apparently completely broken".
The CDU has "a very clear problem of attitude," said Britta Haßelmann, parliamentary manager of the Green parliamentary group in the Bundestag.
In an emergency, a number of Union MPs would apparently have used their position to enrich themselves.
"And the entangled MPs apparently also lack an awareness of wrongdoing."
For the CDU / CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, the masks affair now also has personal consequences: the CSU politician Georg Nüßlein does not run for parliament again after initiating corruption investigations against him.
In addition, he is finally resigning from his position as vice chairman of the parliamentary group in the Bundestag, as a lawyer Nüßleins announced.
He again rejected the allegations against his client.
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Only last week the Bundestag lifted the CSU politician's immunity.
The 51-year-old is being investigated, among other things, because of the initial suspicion of bribery and bribery of elected officials in connection with the purchase of corona respirators.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210305-99-706453 / 2