RBB director Patricia Schlesinger has promised a “complete clarification” of the allegations against her and the broadcaster. This includes the dinners that took place in their private rooms. According to a letter from the director to the Brandenburg State Chancellery, which is available to the Tagesspiegel, there were a total of “nine meals with multipliers for business purposes” between 2018 and 2022. Schlesinger argues that renting space would have resulted in considerable rental costs, explaining why she had made her private rooms available. “The number of people varied between 3 and 11 people. The average cost per guest for the meal (excluding drinks) was between EUR 23.12 and EUR 56.53 gross,” the letter said. The RBB boss does not say who the guests were, sometimes with partners.
Schlesinger also addresses the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Wolf-Dieter Wolf. In the second half of 2021, Wolf himself made it known to the broadcaster that he had business relationships with individual consultants at the planned media company. The RBB does not know which ones are involved and how long they have existed. “From the point of view of rbb, these business relationships of the chairman of the board of directors do not prevent these consultants from being employed by rbb.” Wolf is leaving his office.
Regarding the question of renting the ICC by the Rundfunk-Orchester und -Chöre gGmbH, it is said that the RBB researched and inquired about 45 possible alternative accommodations. The ICC turned out to be the most economical option. “In addition, it is better suited spatially and logistically and could be occupied on time.” The ICC is operated by Messe Berlin, whose supervisory board chairman is Wolf-Dieter Wolf.
In the Brandenburg state politics, the answers of the director on Tuesday caused outrage. The answer to the relationship between the head of the board of directors and the consultants was “a single contradiction,” said SPD parliamentary group leader Daniel Keller. “Either I have the facts and can therefore rule out misconduct with justification – or I don’t have it and can therefore not issue a clean bill of health.” incompatible with modern standards of transparency”. In any case, it should be “urgently disclosed who took part in the meal and for what official reason”. In general, he doubts that the “answers are suitable to dispel doubts about the actions of the directorship and the chairman of the board of directors.”
The SPD media politician Erik Stohn also stated that the benefits of the Essen for the RBB and the fee payers remain open. “As long as these and other questions simmer, the reputation of the RBB is cracked,” said Stohn. CDU faction leader Jan Redmann said the answers were limited to the “absolute minimum”. “Transparency and active education look different,” said Redmann. “This is very disappointing and fits in with the previous strategy of sitting out.”
