Dirty tricks? Investigation committee launched into Messari-Becker’s expulsion | hessenschau.de

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03:32 mins |24.09.24, 19:30|hensschau

Messari-Becker Investigation Committee – an overview

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On Tuesday evening, the Hessian state parliament formed an investigative committee into the affair surrounding the expulsion of the non-party state secretary Lamia Messari-Becker from the SPD-led Ministry of Economic Affairs. Behind closed doors, the committee elected SPD MP Marius Weiß as chairman, the state parliament administration announced.

The 49-year-old explained that he was aware of the importance of the office and added: “I take the investigation mandate very seriously.” He had already ensured that the office was filled by a scientific staff and that it would be able to work immediately. According to the Investigation Committee Act, the black-red government was entitled to fill the position. The deputy chairman is Oliver Stirböck from the FDP.

The SPD politician Weiß had already headed the committee on the Hanau attack until he resigned in the summer of last year. The reason was a penal order that was imposed on him for forgery. Weiß had forged a parking permit from the state parliament for his wife.

Greens and FDP pulling together

The parliamentary investigation into the dismissal of the state secretary after only six months in office was initiated by the Greens and FDP in the state parliament. The opposition factions want to clarify open questions. The focus is on whether everything was clean when SPD Economics Minister Kaweh Mansoori placed the construction professor into temporary retirement at the end of July.

According to his own press release, Mansoori had separated from Messari-Becker because of “unacceptable misconduct” outside of work, without publicly stating a reason for this or providing evidence. Legally, a reason is not necessary; a reference to a broken relationship of trust would have been sufficient. Critics claim that the SPD minister has unfairly damaged the professor’s reputation.

In a state parliament session, Mansoori admitted that the alleged misconduct was not the only reason for his dismissal. From his current perspective, his previous statement to the contrary could have been shorter. The minister also regretted the way the matter was progressing. Since the Greens and FDP were unable to achieve this, they are pushing for the committee to be set up.

The Minister of Culture also in sight

The Minister of Economic Affairs allegedly accused Messari-Becker of using her position as State Secretary to exert pressure for better grades in a parent-teacher meeting at her children’s school. Messari-Becker denies the accusations. Both will certainly be called as witnesses.

Among other things, the opposition will find out how Messari-Becker was treated in the ministry. A key question was whether Mansoori had his ministerial office search for incriminating material against the senior official before and after her dismissal. Among other things, it will also be clarified whether the Minister of Economic Affairs and CDU Minister of Culture Armin Schwarz correctly informed parliament about the affair.

Surprise over personnel

So far, they have encountered a “wall of silence,” complained Kaya Kinkel, Green Party chairwoman on the committee, after the committee’s inauguration. The accusation against Messari-Becker borders on character assassination.

Kinkel said that they supported the election of the SPD politician Weiß out of democratic custom. However, she added that, given the penal order imposed against Weiß for forgery, the Greens were “very surprised” by the appointment.

FDP chairman Oliver Stirböck suspects that the dismissal is actually the result of conflicts in the Ministry of Economic Affairs “between Ms Messari-Becker with her expertise on the one hand and Kaweh Mansoori and his allies on the other.” The FDP would like to see a generous and factual clarification of the question “whether dirty tricks were used.”

Editorial staff:
Wolfgang Turk

Broadcast:
hr-television, hessenschau,

24.09.24, 19:30

Source: hessenschau.de

Published on 24.09.24 at 18:57