Alain Berset talks about Corona leaks: “My family was threatened”

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Minister of Health Alain Berset (51) has so far remained silent about “Corona leaks”. A private investigator discovered, by chance, that Berset’s former head of communications was in close contact with Marc Walder (58), CEO of the Ringier Group, which is also Blick’s publisher, during the pandemic.

A GPK was set up to check whether these contacts had led to media reports and nothing was found. Berset now gave an interview to “Tamedia” newspapers. He also talks about direct contacts with Ringier CEO Marc Walder during the corona pandemic. But he insists nothing confidential has been shared.

“I was a part of it too”

In the interview he says: “Of course I knew there were contacts with the CEO of Ringier. I was there for some of it.” You have to understand that the administration is always in contact with those who are affected by the decisions or who can contribute. “He (Walder) was very interested in combating the epidemic and repeatedly came to us with ideas,” Berset says in the interview.

For example, what Walder proposed was about the pilot project for vaccination in large companies. “Zurich Insurance and Credit Suisse were also there; tens of thousands of employees were involved,” explains Berset.

Communications boss Peter Lauener, 53, was in contact not only with Walder but also with many players, government councils, retailers and sports clubs.

“Yes there were mistakes”

GPK stated in its report that there was no evidence that the Lauen media provided preliminary information that would lead to the creation of insider reports. Berset also mentions this once again in his interview. “There is not a single element that supports the theory that the information was used for prior reporting.”

Berset once again reminds us of the incredibly busy Corona period in his “Tamedia” interview. “We worked day and night, on weekends, under great pressure.” Yes, of course there were things to do differently today. “And yes, there were mistakes.”

“My children’s names were mentioned”

But the treatment of Lauener is wrong. “The media consequences and personal injuries to him were enormous, and the results of the investigation exonerated him.” This should have been emphasized more strongly by GPK.

The Federal President explained in the interview that some indiscretions had direct consequences on his private life. “My family was threatened.” He was given an ultimatum to refrain from making a public proposal. “My children’s names and our home address were mentioned. And now people are seriously insinuating that I somehow orchestrated reckless actions?” His team saw how this hurt him personally.

Berset takes a swipe at GPK in the interview. “I would expect an open-ended investigation,” says Berset. The task of the Parliamentary Audit Committee (GPK) is to recommend systemic improvements. But the report appears to be an attempt to prove that all indiscretion comes from the Home Office. “The GPK report does not offer a new understanding of how indiscretion occurs,” criticizes Berset. (what is that)

Source :Blick