On Tuesday, two key figures in the CSU mask affair came into custody.

According to the newspaper "Die Welt", the Munich I public prosecutor's office has long been investigating Andrea Tandler and her business partner Darius N. and has now issued an arrest warrant for allegations of tax law.

Carlota Brandis

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The daughter of the former CSU General Secretary Gerold Tandler and her business partner are said to have received a commission in the double-digit million range through mask deals with several health ministries.

However, this was settled via a Grünwalder company in order to save taxes.

In April 2020, the then Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) ordered one hundred million FFP2 masks from the Swiss company Emix for a total of 540 million euros, at a price of 5.40 euros per piece.

Only a short time before, Spahn had described cheaper masks of 4.50 euros each in the health committee as “above the usual market price”.

In addition, Emix is ​​said to have had no experience in the distribution or sale of protective clothing.

Nevertheless, the Federal Ministry of Health had paid the high price.

The North Rhine-Westphalian and Bavarian health ministries also bought the masks, according to the magazine "Der Spiegel" even for an even higher price.

At the beginning of March 2020, the Bavarian Ministry of Health is said to have ordered one million masks from Emix for 8.90 euros each.

Andrea Tandler and Darius N. are said to have mediated the profitable mask deals between the Zurich-based company and the ministries.

Tandler used the contact with the CSU MEP Monika Hohlmeier to get in direct contact with the ministries.

Hohlmeier is the daughter of former CSU Prime Minister Franz Josef Strauss.

She is said not to have benefited from the deals.

Tandler and Darius N. are said to have received a commission of 48 million euros for the mediation.

The largest part comes from the Federal Ministry of Health, which concluded four contracts with Emix in March and April 2020.

Overall, the mask deals of the then federal government are said to have cost 670 million euros.

Tandler and Darius N. are not in custody because of the allegations of corruption, but because of tax law allegations.

They are said to have evaded several million euros in trade taxes.

According to "Spiegel", Tandler and Darius N. ran the business with Emix through the Munich PR agency.

However, the commission was collected through a company in Grünwald.

The trade tax is significantly lower there.

According to "Spiegel", the Grünwalder company did not even exist when the profitable mask business was already in the offing.