Germany's Merkel To Testify In Wirecard Scandal Next Friday - Spokesman

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2021) Chancellor Angela Merkel has been called as a witness in the case of German digital payments firm Wirecard and will testify before a parliamentary committee on April 23, according to her spokesperson.

"The Federal chancellor will appear as a witness before the third Bundestag committee of Germany that is looking into Wirecard," Steffen Seibert told a news conference on Friday.

The Munich-based company filed for insolvency in June after admitting to having concealed a $2.1 billion hole in its accounts by misleading auditors, who believed it held trust funds in the Philippines.

Merkel advocated for the blue-chip tech company, once considered a market giant, during a trip to China in fall 2019, as did other government officials. The investigative committee also plans to call Finance Minister Olaf Scholz and Economy Minister Peter Altmaier to testify.