Allegations against the state sports association: reappraisal demanded
The Brandenburg State Sports Association has said that it is "irritated" by the accusations of the State Court of Auditors (LRH) regarding excessive board remuneration. The LSB had been very transparent with the Ministry of Sport regarding the remuneration of LSB board members cited in the report by the State Court of Auditors, said the chairman of the board Andreas Gerlach on Monday evening in response to the annual report presented by the LRH.
Gerlach announced that the LSB would be more detailed in future with regard to the documentation of trips, gifts and events that the Court of Auditors had called for. The association will discuss the auditors' allegations with the Ministry of Sport.
The auditors had complained that, in addition to salaries, the board had received what they considered to be inadmissible payments such as board allowances of between 900 and 2000 euros, travel expenses and, in one case, a monthly pension payment. This violated the "prohibition of betterment" for employees of publicly funded institutions. In addition, LSB executives are also managing directors of subsidiaries.
In addition, the LSB financed visits to sporting events, hospitality and a group trip to the Olympics in Rio des Janeiro in 2016. According to the audit report, an entire apartment building was rented for the Rio trip, which was not fully utilized. The auditors put the loss at more than 88,000 euros.
According to the auditors, the occasions for invitations and the beneficiaries were not documented or even incorrectly documented for other trips. In 2017, for example, an alleged closed meeting in Cologne was only used to attend two ice hockey World Cup matches. According to the auditors, there was no time for a closed meeting after the travel dates.
Parliamentary groups from the government and opposition in the state parliament called for the allegations to be investigated on Tuesday. Matthias Stefke from the BVB/Free Voters said that not only the LSB board should ensure transparency, but also the Ministry of Sport should take a stand on a possibly inadequate audit of the accounts.
SPD parliamentary group leader Daniel Keller also found positive words for the association. The association had worked constructively with the state government to find solutions for sport during the coronavirus pandemic. "Despite all of this, as budget legislators, we also have a great interest in ensuring that funding is spent properly," he emphasized. "If there have been problems, they must be clarified and resolved."
The Greens in the state parliament are calling for consequences. "I believe that the state sports association would be well advised to take a critical look at the results and draw appropriate conclusions," said parliamentary group leader Petra Budke. The Ministry of Sport will certainly also "have to take a close look at this process". Co-leader of the parliamentary group Benjamin Raschke announced that the Budget Control Committee would take a look at the matter.
AfD parliamentary group leader Hans-Christoph Berndt sees a general development: "It is depressing how the sense of duty and restraint has been damaged everywhere." AfD finance politician Andreas Galau warned the coalition parties against dividing up posts in the upcoming appointment of a new head of the Court of Audit.
The authorities are expected to scrutinize the financial practices of the Brandenburg State Sports Association, given the controversies over board remuneration and questionable expenses, as highlighted by the State Court of Auditors. To restore public trust in its financial management, the association has vowed to enhance its documentation of trips, gifts, and events involving its board members and executives, who also manage sporting goods companies.
Source: www.dpa.com
