In contrast to Markus Braun, the key witness Bellenhaus, who was switched on via video, apologized to the injured party.
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(Photo: AFP)
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Berlin A former board member of Wirecard has shown itself shocked by the alleged fraud scandal. Before the revelations, she could not have imagined “that the board members of Wirecard AG could be involved in fraudulent behavior,” said Tina Kleingarn on Thursday in the Bundestag investigation committee.
The 46-year-old was a member of the Wirecard supervisory board from June 2016 and announced her resignation in September 2017 – due to serious defects that she found in the group and that had not been remedied. In the committee of inquiry, Kleingarn stated: “I was not satisfied with the processes. There was a lack of orderly control and steering structures and corporate governance. ”
The supervisory board did not adequately control the management board, which disregarded its rights. For these reasons, she resigned from office, said Kleingarn. However: “I could not imagine that there was systematic fraud.”
The ex-supervisory board member made a clear statement when the MPs asked who was the “man in the house” at Wirecard: “In my opinion, Mr. Braun was the CEO. And not just legally, but actually. ”He lacked respect for the supervisory board. “The supervisory board was messed around. And you can’t let yourself be fooled around like that. ”
Attestation on the brink
As proof of her attitude, Kleingarn referred to her letter to the other members of the Supervisory Board, with which she justified her departure at the end of September 2017. In it, Kleingarn wrote, among other things: “I do not understand how, after your descriptions, according to you, an unqualified attestation was only just achieved at the end of 2015, the unrestricted attestation for 2016 was again only issued at the last minute.”
Credit guarantees had also been submitted to the Supervisory Board for approval, “whose loans (…) had already been paid out weeks before.” That speaks for itself, wrote Kleingarn at the time. Braun had already been approached in advance about the criticism and the resignation of his former supervisory board member – and, as usual, refused to give a statement.
Kleingarn’s questioning dragged on until late in the evening. With a view to the alleged fraud in the billions at Wirecard, she balanced: “If the allegations are correct, then I feel not only deceived, but lied to and betrayed.”
“In her testimony, Ms. Kleingarn gave deep insights into the structural causes that contributed to the extent of the Wirecard scandal. The importance of a professional supervisory board for listed companies became very clear, ”said committee member Danyal Bayaz (Greens).
“Your comments are a clear indication that appropriate governance structures in the Wirecard AG supervisory board could have reduced the damage to investors.” For DAX companies, an audit committee on the supervisory board should be a prerequisite, Bayaz continued. Wirecard did not have such a system until 2019.
More: Ex-Wirecard boss Braun is silent – so he threatens a second, tougher round
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