Podcast: Panzer, Scheichs, Millionen: Dubiose Provisionsgeschäfte des KNDS-Vorgängers KMW
Eines der größten Geschäfte der deutschen Rüstungsindustrie von der KNDS-Vorgängerfirma Krauss-Maffei Wegmann wird von dubiosen Zahlungen an katarische Firmen überschattet.
In 2013, the German arms company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) sold 62 Leopard-2 tanks and an entire arsenal of military equipment to Qatar for approximately 1.9 billion Euros. This deal was uncovered by Sönke Iwersen, editor-in-chief of the investigative team at Handelsblatt, and Lars-Marten Nagel, a reporter. The journalists delved into court documents, interviewed insiders, and discovered a web of various companies and high-provision payments, some of which allegedly benefited a Qatari intelligence general and his family.
The Qatari now serves as a diplomat in Moscow. Industry experts remark that the German deal, which occurred under former Chancellor Angela Merkel's administration, showed no reluctance seen in arms sales to other Middle Eastern countries. The episode of Handelsblatt Crime features the journalists discussing international arms trade, opaque side deals, and their late consequences.
The story resurfaced earlier this year when the former firm KNDS, formed from the merger of French state-owned Nexter and KMW, prepared for an IPO. Moderated by Solveig Gode and produced by Florian Pape, this exclusive subscription offer is available for all listeners of Handelsblatt Crime: www.handelsblatt.com/mehrcrime.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
