{
  "id": 13934862,
  "title": "Prozesse: Hauptzeugen widersprechen Ex-Minister Scheuer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/prozesse-hauptzeugen-widersprechen-ex-minister-scheuer",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-12T10:44:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/prozesse-hauptzeugen-widersprechen-ex-minister-scheuer/100261107.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "In the trial against former Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer, two key witnesses contradict Scheuer's claims. Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, head of ticket specialist CTS Eventim, testified before the Berlin Landgericht about an \"offer to postpone\" Scheuer in November 2018. This offer involved contract agreements for the car-maintenance fee system until the European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided on a lawsuit. The ECJ ruled against the car-maintenance fee in June 2019. Scheuer was accused of signing contracts in late 2018 before legal certainty existed, leading to millions of euros in damages for taxpayers. Both Scheuer and former Transport State Secretary Gerhard Schulz are accused of testifying falsely to the Bundestag's investigation committee, claiming they could not remember an \"offer to postpone\" in November 2018. Scheuer stated before the court, \"I have no memory of an offer to postpone.\" The trial continued the next morning with two more witnesses - Georg Kapsch, CEO of the Austrian company Kapsch, and Schulenberg. Kapsch detailed a November 2018 meeting at the Federal Ministry of Transport involving the two businessmen and Scheuer with former Transport State Secretary Schulz. Kapsch said the discussion centered on financing issues and an impending tight schedule before the planned start of the car-maintenance fee. They sought solutions. Schulenberg then said, \"The ECJ process is already running, so we'll wait.\" This statement was not pre-approved by Schulenberg, according to Schulenberg. Schulenberg's statement at the ministry did not meet with enthusiasm, Kapsch said, as the ministry had cited guidelines confirming the car-maintenance fee as EU-compliant. Both Schulenberg and Scheuer confirmed these statements in court, as they had previously made at the car-maintenance fee investigation committee of the Bundestag.",
  "summary": "Der frühere Verkehrsminister Scheuer soll im Untersuchungsausschuss zur gescheiterten Pkw-Maut eine Falschaussage gemacht haben. Es geht vor allem um ein Treffen.",
  "key_points": [
    "Two key witnesses contradict Scheuer's claims in trial.",
    "Klaus-Peter Schulenberg offers to postpone Scheuer in November 2018.",
    "ECJ ruled against car-maintenance fee in June 2019."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Handelsblatt",
        "title": "Prozesse: Hauptzeugen widersprechen Ex-Minister Scheuer",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/prozesse-hauptzeugen-widersprechen-ex-minister-scheuer-13934865",
        "published": "2026-10-12T10:32:38.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}