Police search state parliament: CDU, SPD and AfD in the infidelity scandal!

Police search state parliament: CDU, SPD and AfD in the infidelity scandal!

Things are currently getting turbulent in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt in Magdeburg. An extensive police operation began this Tuesday morning, during which the offices of the CDU, SPD and AfD factions were searched. The investigation focuses on suspicion of breach of trust in connection with improper payments of functional allowances, which are no longer legally permitted since a parliamentary reform in 2020. How day24 Reportedly, the Magdeburg public prosecutor's office and the State Criminal Police Office are leading this case.

A specific trigger for the searches was a complaint from the Taxpayers' Association, which was received in November 2023. The CDU parliamentary group is mainly affected, which paid high allowances totaling 113,250 euros between 2021 and 2022. The SPD and AfD also documented some additional payments in their annual statements: 7,500 euros for the SPD and around 25,620 euros for the AfD. However, the parliamentary groups pointed out that they had handed over the requested documents in full, while the AfD rejected the allegations as “disproportionate”.

Regulatory backgrounds

According to the 2020 parliamentary reform, additional compensation may only be paid to certain officials. Despite this regulation, there were reports that the CDU parliamentary group made payments to its deputy parliamentary group leaders and working group leaders, which brought the responsible institutions to the scene. The investigation has also received national attention because it is embedded in a broader context of corruption investigations into MPs. So reported pnp.de that the State Audit Office confirmed in 2023 that such allowances are not compatible with the Members of Parliament Act.

The investigating authorities have made it clear that the evaluation of the seized papers will take some time. Even the public prosecutor's office in Naumburg has called for a new review of previously discontinued proceedings, which indicates the seriousness of the allegations. While the SPD parliamentary group has now abolished its allowances for the deputy group leaders, the CDU has so far kept a low profile and has not commented on the events.

Political implications

These events do not come as a surprise, as scandals have increasingly come to light in the political landscape in recent years and MPs are repeatedly confronted with questionable transactions. information parliamentwatch.de show that investigations are underway against several MPs, including cases of bribery. In the current legislative session, MPs' immunity has already been lifted 22 times, showing a worrying trend.

It remains to be seen whether the current investigations will lead to criminal consequences. While the situation is tense, the parties concerned can only hope that clarity and transparency will return to the political processes.