German News

The new BND Bruno Kahl gets sucked into the Panama Papers. Kahl was Supervisory Board of Bundesdruckerei, as a whistleblower, the Panel wanted to warn of an offshore deal Bundesdruckerei. The Supervisory Board ignored the warning. It is puzzling why Kahl despite this sensitive matter to be head of the service now.

The new BND Bruno Kahl, who is also a close friend of Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, has since 2011, the Supervisory Board of Bundesdruckerei, which reports to the Federal Ministry of Finance. Observers in the European services puzzle why a man who appears indirectly in the Panama Papers, is lifted in such a sensitive position.
Bundesdruckerei is said to have used a front company in Panama for its operations in Venezuela, according to the Panama Papers. In the years 2012 and 2013, an informant turned to the Supervisory Board of Bundesdruckerei to inform members of dubious dealings Bundesdruckerei, reports the Mirror.

But Kahl and the other board members did not want to listen to informants . Instead, let Bundesdruckerei inform the informants through a lawyer that he never intended to resume contact with her ​​or the Supervisory Board. On the Supervisory Board of Bundesdruckerei also August Hanning, of from 1998 to 2005 BND chief and under the cooperation between the BND and NSA was carried out at the spying of data on a large scale sitting. The NSA wiretapping scandal played Hanning down. "I want to make it clear that, of course, you have to expect that anyone who communicates openly, is monitored," citing him the FAZ.

In connection with the business of Bundesdruckerei in Panama also Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble refused to contact the informant who had previously turned to Kahl, Hanning and the other board members. "It is intolerable that the finance minister has just announced full-bodied in the public wanting to take action against tax havens, and must give a day later to have in his subordinate Bundesdruckerei ignored evidence of the use of shell companies", Sahra Wagenknecht said the incident ,
The Finance Ministry announced in a statement a little later: "The facts are known and was also the subject of prosecutorial investigations and external and internal investigations Bundesdruckerei (...) evidence of illegal or even criminal conduct have not been found."

Bruno Kahl was from 1 December 2010 until December 26, 2012 Vice Chairman of the Board of TLG Immobilien. He was a member of the Supervisory Board of WestLB AG successor Portigon Financial Services, reported Bloomberg. He is currently Head of Department VIII (privatization, investments and federal property) in the Federal Ministry of Finance.