China News Agency, Berlin, March 8-Due to involvement in a suspected corruption scandal related to mask manufacturers during the new crown epidemic in Germany, two members of the Bundestag group of the ruling Union Party in Germany announced their resignation on the 7th.

  Those involved in the scandal were Lebel, a member of the CDU and Nislein, a member of the CDU.

Both belong to the coalition party group in the Bundestag.

On January 5, pedestrians passed a closed flower shop in Berlin, Germany.

The shop window posted a notice saying "The city was closed due to the second round of lockdown."

Photo by China News Agency reporter Peng Dawei

  According to German TV One and Der Spiegel Online, at the end of February this year, Nislein was exposed to have introduced a mask manufacturer to the German Federal Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Interior and the Bavarian State Government, thereby obtaining 660,000 euros in remuneration.

On March 5, Lebel also admitted that he had received about 250,000 euros in remuneration by facilitating a mask purchase agreement.

  After the incident was exposed, Nislein announced his resignation as the vice chairman of the coalition party group and resigned from the party group. At the same time, he announced that he would not seek re-election in the September elections this year.

Lebel also announced on the 7th that he will resign as a member of Parliament at the end of August and will no longer participate in the Bundestag election.

  However, the two did not immediately resign as members of the parliamentary office, which aroused strong criticism from the party.

In a TV interview on the same day, CDU Chairman Rashet urged the two to resign immediately and "must leave the Bundestag immediately."

He emphasized that as a representative elected by the people, one cannot profit from a crisis.

  The Mannheim CDU, where Lebel constituency is located, also issued an ultimatum to him, ordering him to "resign all public office no later than March 31."

  According to Deutsche News Agency, Nislein is being investigated by the Munich prosecutor for alleged corruption as an elected member of Parliament.

(Finish)