A German parliamentary inquiry into the resignation of an Indian-origin former MP over his alleged involvement in child pornography took a new turn after two of his ex-employees testified that he was informed about the probe by a fellow SPD lawmaker.
Appearing before the committee yesterday, Sebastian Edathy's two former office assistants said he was telling the truth when he deposed last month that he was informed about an impending probe against him on suspicion of involvement in child pornography by Social Democrat(SPD) MP Michael Hartmann.
The two witnesses also supported Edathy's statement before the committee that Hartmann had passed on this information to him at the SPD party congress in Leipzig on November 25, 2013 and former president of Germany's external intelligence service BND, Joerg Ziercke, was Hartmann's source.
Both Hartmann and Ziercke, who were questioned by the committee earlier, have strongly denied these allegations.
The committee has been trying to establish whether Edathy had received advance information about the impending probe before he laid down his parliamentary seat on February 7 and who was his informer.
Members of the inquiry committee were sceptical about the allegations made by Edathy against Hartmann in his testimony and there were suggestions that he wanted to take a revenge from his former party colleagues and its leadership.
However, committee members said after yesterday's closed- door session that the statements by Edathy's former office assistants have boosted the credibility of his version of the events leading to his resignation.
Edathy's testimony looks "more credible now," said Green party's MP Irene Mihalic.
CDU lawmaker Armin Schuster said both witnesses have "strongly supported" Edathy's position and gave a detailed account of the discussions he had with Hartmann in Leipzig.
They also made Hartmann's testimony "less credible," he said.
Edathy will face charges at a Verden court in Lower Saxony state for acquiring and possessing child pornography.
The court is scheduled to open proceedings on February 23 on a plea by the state prosecutor's office in Hannover.
It charged that he had downloaded child pornography photos and videos on seven occasions in November, 2013 using his official laptop of the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament.
He is also accused of possessing an illustrated book and a CD containing child pornography material.
