According to research by NDR, WDR and "Süddeutsche Zeitung" (SZ), new documents cast an increasingly questionable light on a bulk order for masks from the Federal Ministry of Health from the Swiss trading company Emix.

On April 24, 2020, the Ministry ordered 100 million FFP2 masks for 540 million euros, i.e. at a price of 5.40 euros per piece, from Emix.

Just two days earlier, the then Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) had described mask prices of 4.50 euros as “above the usual market price” in the Bundestag’s Health Committee.

According to the non-public verbal minutes of the committee meeting, Spahn also announced the delivery of 100 million FFP2 masks elsewhere.

This would mean that the “health care system would be well taken care of in the coming months”.

Spahn explains deal with "wild west conditions"

On request, the health department, now led by SPD politician Karl Lauterbach, confirmed that then Minister Spahn had approved the 540 million deal with Emix.

Jens Spahn explained through his spokesman that the questions asked by NDR, WDR and "SZ" about the deal "in their depth of detail evade comprehensibility or memory".

At that time, "wild west conditions" would have prevailed on the mask market.

He, Spahn, and the government should have gotten protective masks in a “highly dynamic situation”.

Not only the price of the deal raises questions, but also the timing.

Because on April 8, 2020, the federal government had received enormous delivery commitments in the so-called open house procedure.

According to this, more than one billion FFP2 masks worth 4.7 billion euros should be delivered to the federal government by April 30th.

The ministry did not specifically answer why the ministry ordered another 100 million masks from Emix at a significantly higher price just six days earlier.

It only pointed out that it was not known exactly how many masks the open house suppliers would actually deliver.

CSU: Multimillionaires in need of explanation

Not only the company owners at Emix benefited from the mask orders, but also the intermediaries Andrea Tandler and her partner Darius N. Andrea Tandler is the daughter of the former CSU General Secretary Gerold Tandler.

She had sought direct contact with Jens Spahn's ministry via the CSU MEP Monika Hohlmeier, the daughter of the former Bavarian Prime Minister Franz-Josef Strauss.

Tandler and Darius N. received a total of 48 million euros in commission from Emix for brokering corona protection goods to German ministries.

The vast majority of business was with the Federal Ministry of Health, which concluded a total of four contracts with Emix in March and April 2020.

The Berlin public prosecutor's office is investigating the last major Emix deal against Andrea Tandler and Darius N. on suspicion of bribery.

Eavesdropping by the investigative authorities has shown that Darius N. is said to have said during a conversation with Andrea Tandler that there were three in a boat.

In a further conversation, N. is said to have made a calculation of the commission money, which the investigating authorities also believe that another person may benefit.

The Berlin public prosecutor wants to find out whether this ominous third person exists and if so, who it could be.

Tandler and N. firmly deny the allegations, citing the Munich investigative authorities who are also investigating.

The spokesman for Health Minister Lauterbach said that the ministry had “no evidence” of corruption and that they knew nothing about reimbursements or other kick-backs.