Opposition parties increase pressure in Wickrange/Livange case

(CS) Opposition parties DP and Déi Gréng have accused the government of threatening entrepreneur Guy Rollinger to get him to drop his Wickrange shopping centre plans.

Claude Meisch (DP) and François Bausch (Déi Gréng) cited eye witness accounts, who claimed that they had seen the Prime Minister and several other ministers threaten Rollinger, saying he would receive no more state contracts should he pursue the Wickrange project.

Meisch and Bausch also claim that the government had attempted to put pressure on Rollinger trying to complicate loan procedures and conditions at banks where the state acts as shareholder.

The parties claim that the decision by the government to support Flavio Becca's plans for the Livange stadium and shopping centre instead of chosing Rollinger's proposals for a similar project in Wickrange were not transparent, with Bausch saying recent developments could be relevant for legal proceedings in the case.

Rollinger to receive pay-off claims opposition

Meisch and Bausch claimed that the government wanted to pursue the Livange project at any cost. However, with only a 10-kilometre distance between Livange and Wickrange, Rollinger's project would have stood in the way.

The opposition claims that there was a deal between the government and Rollinger, who would drop the Wickrange project in return for a 21 million euro loan from the BCEE. Bausch and Meisch said at a press conference on Thursday that this claim could be supported by witnesses.

Parties want to unveil the truth

While the deputies do not currently demand the resignation of any of the ministers involved in the case, they said that both parties were committed to unveiling the whole truth of the case.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has said he would speak on the matter at a Chamber of Deputies session on June 13.

The investigation into the matter was launched when the government decided to shelve the Livange project indefinitely as part of its savings plans for the next three years.