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Hydrogen filling station in Baden-Württemberg: Questionable funding
Photo:
Bernd Weißbrod/dpa
In the Federal Ministry of Transport's hydrogen affair, new details about the behavior of the head of the policy department raise questions. In its response to a Left MP, the ministry admitted that department head Klaus Bonhoff had forwarded an email from the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association directly to the responsible department. “As discussed – can we promote networking/communication in the same way as BMU?” he wrote.
Entire lines blacked out
Bonhoff is also privately acquainted with representatives of the hydrogen and fuel cell association. According to research by Handelsblatt, the ministry admitted this last summer and confirmed that emails from the association had been forwarded. However, a response from the ministry available to SPIEGEL shows that Bonhoff never reported a conflict of interest.
“The allegations have still not been fully clarified,” criticizes Left-wing Bundestag member Victor Perli. "In the report, which can only be viewed in the Bundestag's secret security office, entire lines have been blacked out." He demands: "It must be made clear what exactly the communication was with the hydrogen association and for its promotion. Citizens must be able to rely on the fact that public funding is provided neutrally and is not given to friends or networks as a favor.«
A spokeswoman for the Lobbycontrol association criticizes: "It is and remains questionable if public funding is not clearly separated between private and professional contacts."
The ministry, on the other hand, refers to an audit by the “independent internal audit and anti-corruption staff department,” which concluded “that no undue influence or other misconduct by the head of the department could be identified in connection with funding decisions.”