Köppel attacks Schawinski

The situation between former radio colleagues Roger Schawinski and Roger Köppel is coming to a head. In the so-called "Sarasin case", Professor Philipp Sarasin and Svenja Goltermann are suing Weltwoche and the author of the article series, Philipp Gut, for defamation. Gut was already found guilty on Friday at the Zurich District Court (Werbewoche.ch reported) - the civil action for personal injury is still pending.

The fact that Köppel wants to summon his former talk-show colleague Schawinski as a witness already became known a year ago through the Sonntagszeitung (Werbewoche.ch reported). Schawinski is said to have revealed to Köppel in the run-up to a recording of "Roger gegen Roger" that it was common knowledge that the relationship had already existed before the conclusion of the appeal proceedings. A statement that would exonerate Weltwoche's reporting.

"Soulmates"

That Köppel is obviously serious about his plan to call Schawinski as a witness is now revealed once again by the Sonntagszeitung. It publishes the "memo" that Köppel wrote after the aforementioned recording. It says that Schawinski "vehemently rejected" the Sarasin topic for "Roger against Roger" by text message. He later justified this reaction in the studio, involuntarily confirming Philipp Gut's published content: Schawinski had - according to Köppel - misunderstood the article and meant that Weltwoche was accusing Sarasin of having an affair during the appeal proceedings. In relativizing this supposed accusation, Schawinski then confirmed Weltwoche's actual thesis, namely an affair dating back some time. In the memo, Schawinski refers to Sarasin as a "longtime friend" who "had an affair with Svenja 10 or 15 years ago." Since then, according to Schawinski , the two have been "soul mates".

Memo ended "Roger vs. Roger"

In a personal letter from Köppel to Schawinski, which is also available to the Sonntagszeitung, the Weltwoche publisher accuses his former colleague not only of only standing by the truth when it suits him, but also that "Roger against Roger" was only possible because of the file note in question. deposed had been terminated. Schawinski justified the end at the time with Köppel's entry into politics. Köppel was increasingly using the show for his personal election propaganda instead of appearing as a journalist, was the official reason. "Politician and journalist at the same time - that's not possible in my opinion," Schawinski told Blick.

"Legally irrelevant rumors"

Schawinski vehemently rejects the accusations. Köppel "denounced him to the court on the basis of a so-called transcript of the conversation," he tells the Sonntagszeitung. He accuses Weltwoche of invoking source protection in court for lack of evidence, but of overruling it in his case. This approach is "morally reprehensible".

Schawinski describes the content of the memo as "nonsense". He had known neither Sarasin nor Goltermann at the time of the alleged affair - so the statement "falsely imputed to him would be no more than the passing on of legally irrelevant rumors". He describes Weltwoche's reporting in the Sarasin case as an "unsavory and politically motivated campaign as a result of the Mörgeli affair".

Schawinski at least partially confirms Köppel's accusation that the memo had ended the cooperation - the "denunciation" had been "one reason" in addition to his move into politics. Köppel's "Stasi methods" had destroyed the relationship of trust. (hae/soz)