Inquiry panel established. - CDU observes inconsistencies in the Finance Minister.
In the ongoing argument over a pay raise for a staff member of Minister President Stephan Weil (SPD), the CDU state parliamentary faction is claiming that Finance Minister Gerald Heere (Greens) has been inconsistent with his remarks. Hermann, the leader of the CDU state parliamentary faction, highlighted this issue in Hanover on Thursday. During her questioning as a witness in the investigative committee, Hermann noticed contradictions in Heere's statements regarding a letter pertaining to the employee's promotion.
She pointed out that it appeared as though the issue was only about a specific person rather than making public service more appealing. In the committee, Hermann raised the question of whether or not Heere had previously known the employee. Heere claimed he was unaware of the employee before her appointment and learned about her during the preparation of the budget draft last summer. He stated that he had no involvement in the decision to increase her salary retroactively.
The focus of the committee is determining whether or not the pay hike given to Weil's staff member was lawful. The opposition CDU believes that this is an isolated incident in which administrative regulations have been altered for just one individual, and they're referring to it as a "salary scandal." The State Chancellery, however, has denied such claims, asserting that the higher payment is legal.
This change in pay has increased the pension-eligible monthly salary of the Weil employee by 1,886 euros, amounting to around 22,600 euros annually. Since February 2023, she has been employed in the State Chancellery and is presently still in that position and receives the increased salary.
Along with the raised salary of the essential employee of Weil, the State Prosecutor's Office in Hanover began an investigation this week on suspicions of embezzlement against unidentified individuals.
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- Following her testimony as a witness in the investigation committee, CDU leader Hermann accused Finance Minister Gerald Heere (Greens) of inconsistencies related to a letter concerning a staff member's promotion in Lower Saxony, Germany.
- The CDU parliamentary faction alleged that Heere had been inconsistent with his remarks regarding the salary increase for Minister President Stephan Weil's (SPD) staff member, which they view as a "salary scandal."
- The focus of the investigative committee is to determine whether the pay raise for Weil's employee was lawful or an isolated incident where administrative regulations were manipulated for the benefit of one individual, as suggested by the CDU.
- In response to the CDU's allegations, the State Chancellery asserted that the increased payment to Weil's employee was legal, while an investigation into embezzlement suspicions against unidentified individuals was initiated by the State Prosecutor's Office in Hanover this week.
- During the committee hearing, Hermann questioned Heere about his past knowledge of the employee, who received a salary increase of 1,886 euros per month, or approximately 22,600 euros annually. Heere claimed he was unaware of the employee before her appointment.
