Catholic Church
Journalists informed in advance? Woelki wants to press charges
Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki is being investigated against him on suspicion of false affidavit and perjury. photo
© Henning Kaiser/dpa
The Cologne Cardinal Woelki is angry because media representatives are said to have been informed in advance about the investigation against him because of allegations of perjury. His lawyer suspects a “leak” in the police force.
After the searches for perjury allegations against Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki wants to file a complaint with the clergyman because journalists are said to have been informed in advance.
“What bothers us is not the house search, but that the information and the appointment were apparently leaked to the media,” said Woelki’s lawyer Björn Gercke of “Zeit”. Therefore, he will file a criminal complaint against unknown persons on behalf of the cardinal for breach of official secrecy. Gercke therefore suspects the “leak” with the police, not with the public prosecutor’s office.
Cologne’s chief public prosecutor Ulf Willuhn said: “We will try to clarify that.” The public prosecutor’s office has no interest in measures being accompanied by the press. “It just annoys us,” he said. Buildings of the Archdiocese of Cologne were searched on Tuesday. According to Willuhn, media representatives were already on site before the measures began. It is understandable that the cardinal would react angrily when investigators came and he looked into a camera. You wished for something else.
“Search was unnecessary”
Woelki’s lawyer Gercke considers the searches to be unnecessary. “The search shouldn’t have been done because of us, because we would have voluntarily given everything that the prosecutor needed,” he told Die Zeit. Such a search is always a prejudice in the eyes of legal laymen. Willuhn had emphasized on Tuesday that the conclusion had been reached that apart from these measures there was no way to create further clarity. The decision also played a role in the special importance of the case for the public. This should always be taken into account when developing measures.
Woelki is being investigated on suspicion of false insurance under oath and perjury. The cardinal is said to have known more about abuse allegations against clergy than he publicly said. Gercke told the “Zeit” that he was sure that the public prosecutor’s office would discontinue the proceedings.