F. A. S. exclusive: Bafin-Chef handle just before Wirecard collapse to the phone

The top management of the top German financial Supervisory authority Bafin has made the case, Wirecard shortly before the collapse of the scandal of the company to the chief thing and in the crisis talks with the Management of the Dax group on. Bafin President Felix Hufeld was on the phone for the first time in mid-June, and so a few days before the insolvency of the payment service provider with top managers of Wirecard. Hufeld spoke with the newly installed chief Executive, James Freis, as well as with Wirecard-Chairman of the Supervisory Board Thomas Eichelmann.

Marcus Theurer

editor in the economy of the Frankfurt General Sunday newspaper.

F. A. Z.

The answer of the German Federal Ministry of Finance on requests of the Bundestag parliamentary groups of the Greens and the Left, which is the F. A. S.. Bafin-Vice-President Elisabeth Roegele and responsible for banking supervision, Bafin-Director Raimund Röseler have led, therefore, until recently no direct conversations with Executive boards and Supervisory boards of Wirecard, although the situation in the Dax pointed the group over many months, and always to a greater extent.

to have No comment Bafin

The Bafin’s leadership is accused for weeks, in the balance sheet scandal Wirecard is a timid acts. Now the political pressure on the Financial increases overseer continued: “Mr Hufeld would have had to make in the face of many references much earlier in the case of Wirecard for the chief thing,” criticized the green financial policy-makers Danyal Bayaz. The Vice-President responsible Roegele was off the grid in the case of Wirecard not “completely.”

While the Bafin Executive Board itself stepped in recently, there was, however, already in the autumn of 2019, a conversation between the Secretary of state of Finance and Bafin Board of Directors chief Jörg Kukies and the then Wirecard CEO Markus Braun at the 5. November, the 50. Birthday Brown.

the already well-known allegations against Wirecard came Whether, it does not inform the Ministry of Finance in its answer, citing “confidentiality interests”. This, too, met with members of Parliament to severe criticism: “The Public has a right to know what they had to discuss, Mr. Kukies with the CEO, Markus Braun on his birthday so Secret”, says the financial expert, Fabio De Masi from the Left. Bafin would not comment on the request to the theme.