The German Greens have accused former Health Minister Jens Spahn and his successor, Nina Warken, of lacking transparency in the procurement of masks at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Andreas Audretsch, the Greens’ faction vice, the report of the special investigator Sudhof, released on Tuesday, is heavily redacted, making it difficult to understand the details of the mask procurement process, particularly in regards to direct contracts with individual companies. Audretsch questioned the motives behind the redactions, stating, “Why did Jens Spahn make deals with certain companies? We need transparency here.”
Spahn’s reference to an upcoming inquiry committee, Audretsch dismissed as a “smoke screen.” The Greens’ politician emphasized that an inquiry committee is not a suitable tool for serious investigation and that only full transparency, investigation and accountability can restore trust.
In contrast, the deputy leader of the CDU faction, Albert Stegemann, defended Spahn, saying he had taken on a difficult responsibility and made important decisions during a challenging time. Stegemann stated that the Sudhof report is being thoroughly examined and that it already reveals “methodological weaknesses.” He pointed out that the report’s sources and the people questioned are unclear and expressed the intention to establish an inquiry committee to comprehensively investigate the pandemic without making partisan accusations of blame.