Pfister was bombarded with questions about the F-35.
Keystone-SDA
Swiss defence minister Martin Pfister was bombarded with questions about the procurement of F-35 fighter jets, two weeks after the publication of a damning report.
Pfister faced 19 questions by parliamentarians who wanted to know who was responsible for the scandal and whether there would be any criminal consequences.
“The Federal Council will set out its position in due course,” he replied on numerous occasions. The government is due to give its official position in December on the report by auditors.
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F-35 jets: fixed-price scandal will have no immediate consequences
A September 8 report revealed serious shortcomings in negotiations with the United States during the procurement of F-35 aircraft. No fixed price was agreed, contrary to earlier statements by former defence minister, Viola Amherd, and military procurement unit armasuisse.
“Standard practice”
The report also highlighted issues with external consultancy, Homburger, which was commissioned to assist armasuisse in the contract negotiations.
This centered on a conflict of interest within Homburger when deciding on the fixed price. Several lawmakers have questioned the legality of this practice.
“Enlisting the help of an external consultancy is standard practice,” said Pfister, adding that the report “found no unlawful conduct or financial loss within the meaning of liability law.”
“Within the rules”
At the time, the government had planned to purchase 36 fighter aircraft. It has since scaled back its plans in light of the higher prices demanded by the US.
Switzerland will ultimately purchase only 30 aircraft. The government has asked for CHF394 million to cover extra costs.
By the end of June, Switzerland had paid out nearly $2 billion for the fighter jets. The total budget earmarked is CHF6.4 billion.
Pfister said operating costs are “on track” to meet budget.
