The mask investigation committee of the Bavarian state parliament could soon summon the wife of Prime Minister Markus Söder, Karin Baumüller-Söder, as a witness.

The background is an offer made by the company von Baumüller-Söder and her brother Andreas Baumüller to the state government, announced by "Nürnberger Nachrichten" and "Nürnberger Zeitung", in April 2020 to procure around 16 million protective masks of different standards at a price of more than 28 million euros want.

In the end, the deal was not realized because the responsible state office for health and food control had spoken out against it from a "technical point of view".

Certificates on the suitability of the masks were missing.

Nevertheless, the case is currently making headlines.

Because just one day before the offer submitted by email on April 21, CSU boss Söder had announced in his government statement in the state parliament that masks would be compulsory in retail and on local public transport.

Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) excludes a connection.

As with many other companies with contacts in China, the first offers to help with the procurement of masks had already been made many days earlier.

Committee decides on subpoena

Bavaria's SPD leader Florian von Brunn wants the mask committee to clarify, among other things, whether Söder's wife tried to influence the business during the negotiations.

It is up to the committee members whether they and other witnesses are summoned.

“I don't currently have an application for evidence.

The committee will discuss and decide on such matters together, ”said the chairman of the committee, Winfried Bausback (CSU) on Tuesday of the German Press Agency in Munich.

When asked, Bausback also made no secret of the fact that he had a problem with the publication of the facts: "Why Mr. von Brunn still believes that the public focus should be placed on the Prime Minister's wife without the usual preliminary discussion in the committee over Easter remains his affair.

But it is and remains bad style to peddle in the media outside of the committee with questionable applications for evidence.” Objective educational work looks different.

Von Brunn was only interested in a permanent scandal.