Calls Intensify for Ex-SPD Politician Johannes Kahrs to Testify in Cum-Ex Scandal Probe

The Left Party demands Kahrs' testimony after the closure of a criminal investigation, raising questions about his political role in the Warburg Bank tax case.

• The Left Party has formally requested that former SPD lawmaker Johannes Kahrs testify before Hamburg's Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on the Cum-Ex tax scandal.
• This follows the Cologne prosecutor's decision to drop its investigation into Kahrs over alleged involvement in aiding Warburg Bank avoid tax repayments, citing insufficient evidence.
• Kahrs facilitated meetings in 2016-2017 between Warburg Bank executives and then-Hamburg Mayor Olaf Scholz, now Germany's Chancellor, during the bank's efforts to contest tax demands.
• The SPD received €45,500 in donations from entities linked to Warburg Bank during this period, with €38,000 directed to Kahrs' Hamburg-Mitte district chapter.
• The inquiry is under time pressure as Hamburg's state elections are scheduled for March 2, limiting the committee's ability to compel testimony without broader political support.

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