In the advisory affair of the Ministry of Defense, the von Leyens cell phone was to serve as evidence. According to the media, the data has been destroyed.

Data that may have been important for the investigation of the Defense Ministry's advisory affair has been destroyed from the mobile communications of former Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU). As the ARD capital studio and Die Welt reported, the deputy government commissioner for the clarification of the affair Markus Paulick said in a confidential meeting of the committee of inquiry that the data had already been deleted in August.

The cell phone was "security erased" by the manufacturer, the data was allegedly irretrievably lost, Paulick was quoted by the ARD capital studio. According to the world, before the deletion, the Bundestag had requested that the cell phone be classified as evidence. The accusation of unauthorized destruction of files is now in the room.

Opposition representatives were outraged. The security spokesman for the Greens Tobias Lindner spoke of "digital file shredding". He called for Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) to take action on those responsible and to draw personnel consequences.

The FDP MP Alexander Müller spoke of an "annoying delay tactic" by the government. First, the ministry said that people were looking for a cell phone. Then it was announced that it was still PIN-locked. Now the government has admitted that it was "flattened" in August, said Müller.

The investigative committee is investigating the allegation that contracts in the Defense Ministry have been awarded millions to external companies while circumventing public procurement law. The accusation of nepotism is also in the room. So far it is unclear whether the committee will summon today's EU Commission chief von der Leyen as a witness. Results of the committee examinations should be available in mid-2020.