RING DRAMA 7: Case CST - judge made the right ring Checkout
Rheinland-Pfalz. The recent scandal of the Nürburgring fill whole volumes long. It is bursting million checks and soaring costs of the question. It reports had to go as a finance minister and was chased a general manager in disgrace.
But about a company with a complicated name Cash Settlement & Ticketing GmbH (CST) was rather unknown. This company could be described as a kind of blind spot in the public eye.
That will change in a confidential draft of Auditors report. The CST will appear in it as a synonym for waste of public money - cash each check. And in the explosive expertise takes some contours, which might be called the "system Kai judges' call. Based on those Düsseldorf entrepreneur who is at the Eifel track his sure instinct for business man with a sense of contract structures, in which he conceded, while the public sector to hedge the risks and bear the brunt of the financing.Unfortunately for the taxpayer.
What led to this aberration? The original business idea seemed as simple as clever.The Nürburgring cash should be used freely. Received and receives for each paying guest today a so-called "ring card, a stored value card, which is also on the ring road currency and entry ticket. Benefit to the Nürburgring operators: not cashing labor-intensive, no trouble with the change, a sleek, automated system that also documents nor the number of visitors. Investment in ticket machines and needed software would soon pay for themselves, the ring-leaders thought 2007th Especially since they were anticipating huge visitor flows. The advantages for the visitors ring: as good as any. For operators of such non-cash payment systems often have ugly ulterior motive. They calculate it, that visitors using up their credit cards not complete and that the rest just falls. The ring-makers built even more boldly on this effect, as the secret, we present a draft Audit Report documented. But more on that later.
To earn the cash-free money can really ring was on 7 February 2008 that operating company, which raised Cash Settlement & Ticketing GmbH (CST), was launched.Shareholders: to 50 percent, almost state-owned Nürburgring GmbH, to 50 percent of the Düsseldorf MI-Websolutions and later MI-Beteiligungs-und Verwaltungs-GmbH (MI).Now comes into play Kai Richter said. Düsseldorf those entrepreneurs who already as a "private investor" was active on the ring. He belonged to the MI to 80 percent, and he served as managing director. Otherwise, only a man named Klaus king was involved, about which almost nothing is known.
And what now criticizes the Court? His analysis of the CST has about 50 pages, but only one message: The Rhineland-Palatinate, it seems worthwhile to do with the affairs of state. The nearly state-owned Nürburgring GmbH was for years an incredible way of the entrepreneur Kai Richter overreach. All such commercial general rules went overboard.The canny investor used a network of companies around the CST in order to milk the cow Nürburgring financially.
In the preliminary report investigates the Speyer concern the entire complex to the CST reorganization in December 2010 took its preliminary conclusion. The design of the expertise is already almost four months with the State Government in the internal circulation. Allegedly, is even before the final report. Contents: unknown. But the design alone is explosive enough. Because the Court's work, as established companies and unnecessary services were bought overpriced. It was mostly Kai Richter and his business partner who went to benefit from the inflated structure. Especially in the era of Walter Kafitz Ingolf Deubel and strict cost control became a rarity. Deubel (SPD), hailed as a financial genius served until his resignation in July 2009 as Finance Minister and also as chairman of the board of the Nürburgring GmbH Walter Kafitz until his termination without notice in December 2009 on as chief executive of the maker ring.
The CST's expertise can be concluded that the two main protagonists of the Nürburgringaffäre - for whatever reason - were all backups aside. Management plans were missing, a solid controlling anyway and the waiver of tenders, estimates of visitor numbers were unfounded. An economical flying blind without equal. The Supervisory Board of Nürburgring GmbH seemed Ingolf Deubel, with the exception of a walk-on to take - more or less well informed. Consistent control? No way! But what the Court objected to in practice? Here are a few striking examples:
No feasibility and viability studies: The establishment of the CST (2008) we expected that would be incurred for the cash-free payment system cost of up to 5 million €.Nevertheless, neither the technical feasibility or the economic benefits were considered. So far this pre-paid systems were mainly used in football stadiums - such as in Kaiserslautern. But that is not comparable to the Nurburgring. A costly birth defects: The Court recommends to abolish the card system again. Even in the best course it will generate up to 2014 total losses of Euro 9.29 million.
Business partner is not checked: The Supervisory Board of Nürburgring GmbH learned in the foundation of CST only in passing that the judge held Medi Invest (known relevant) now completely unknown company appeared MI-Websolutions as a founding partner. In the financial statements of the MI 2005 and 2007 the cash were each less than 2000 €.Although the Court had pushed hard in previous reports on co-partner to choose carefully, there was no verification of financial capacity and skills of MI. It shows how judges apparently could juggle at will with companies and participations, without someone that he felt the tooth.
Cheaper alternatives are considered: The Court sets out clearly that the CST (with Richter as general manager) was really unnecessary. Because the company payment solution (ps), an expert in non-cash systems took over, later in fact, the management at the CST. The Munich based company also offers complete solutions. Demands on the supervisory board of Nürburgring GmbH is not known.
Lack of information: The Supervisory Board of the Nürburgring GmbH was not ring-CEO Kafitz informed that the Nürburgring GmbH had acquired since April 2009, the full funding of nearly insolvent CST. A violation of the establishment decision that came from a 50:50 ratio. Until September 2010 the Supervisory Board was barely into the picture. An auditor general to the work of the board: "He was basically satisfied with oral statements and is not itself take action."
Questionable transactions with remaining funds: In October 2009, so a half years after the founding of the CST, the Supervisory Board of Nürburgring was the first time a business plan, ie, a record of profitability. He went not only - highly unrealistic - assumes that will be issued each fiscal year 1.5 million cards. It was calculated with the fact that 40 percent of customers would forfeit a remaining balance of an average 2.75 euros per ticket. Here, visitors can claim back the amounts over the period of four years.
Chaotic reservations: Although the judge was firm Mediinvest agency responsible for the current and solely for fiscal year 2009 for EUR 54 000 were cashed, for 2009, an additional accountant and Düsseldorf - hired a public accountant - directly from Kai Richter. Unauthorized charges to September 2010: good 71 000 euros. In addition, the accounting was so chaotic that was posted in part twice. About 190 000 euro was a "stray bullet" lists just under 150 000 "false account" listed below.
More waste: CST Managing judges agreed with Judge Medi Invest totally overpriced hourly rates for the commercial administration (50 €). A similar case: Judge Mediinvest concluded by Jung Produktion GmbH (JP, owned 50 percent judge Mediinvest) is much too lucrative, long-term non-cancelable and especially advertising contract (volume 150 000 euro). JP earned in the "project management" for two office-container plants with capacities that were already included with the container company. Also gave judges the "judge and Jung GbR" too high rental income warehouses.
Irresponsible spending: judge engaged the UBK GmbH, an information technology company, without competition, and task description. A blank check worth 290 000 €.Also questionable: Two employees phoned in three months for a full 13 000 euros. And more violent: the CST could save 720 000 Euros, if they - would have cost 2008, ordered 1.5 million cards for the payment system, 500 000 - on the recommendation of the payment solution. Only a fraction of the 1.5 million was actually used. Finally, there were two directors of CST - Judges and representatives of the Nürburgring GmbH Only one received 2,500 euros per month. Who was that? Kai Richter.
