▁U . S . ▁authorities , ▁but ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁bought ▁at ▁a ▁better ▁price , ▁possibly ▁by ▁a ▁German ▁deal er ▁or ▁China . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁Berlin ▁opposition ▁Bur k ard ▁D reg ger ▁accused ▁the ▁Berlin ▁sen ate ▁of ▁de ception ▁intended ▁to ▁cover ▁up ▁their ▁failure ▁to ▁provide ▁the ▁mask s . ▁Polit ico ▁Europe ▁reported ▁that ▁" the ▁Berlin ers ▁are ▁taking ▁a ▁page ▁straight ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Trump ▁play book ▁and ▁not ▁letting ▁facts ▁get ▁in ▁the ▁way ▁of ▁a ▁good ▁story ." ▁ ▁Form er ▁AR D ▁S out heast ▁Asia ▁correspond ent ▁Paul ▁H amp el ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁contact ed ▁the ▁Head ▁of ▁the ▁Chan cell ery , ▁Hel ge ▁Braun , ▁on ▁ 1 ▁April ▁regarding ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁buy ▁ 5 0 ▁million ▁mask s ▁from ▁a ▁business ▁contact ▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong . ▁He ▁said ▁on ▁ 3 ▁April ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁still ▁not ▁received ▁a ▁definite ▁answer ▁from ▁the ▁Federal ▁Chan cell ery ▁and ▁that ▁with ▁the ▁increasing ▁demand ▁the ▁opportunity ▁might ▁go ▁elsewhere . ▁German ▁officials ▁reported ▁that ▁U . S . ▁buy ers ▁were ▁pay ing ▁far ▁above ▁the ▁market ▁price ▁and ▁were ▁out b idd ing ▁European ▁buy ers ▁for ▁mask s . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁▁▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁in ▁Germany ▁▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁coron av irus ▁pan demic ▁in ▁Europe ▁ ▁National ▁responses ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 ▁coron av irus ▁pan demic ▁