crime
Searches at AfD MP Bystron
The AfD member of the Bundestag Petr Bystron is being investigated. photo
© Christoph Soeder/dpa
AfD member of the Bundestag Petr Bystron has long been criticized for possible connections to pro-Russian networks. He is now under investigation – and his office is being searched.
Due to initial suspicions of bribery and money laundering, the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the AfD MP Petr Bystron initiated and searched several objects today.
This also included Bystron’s parliamentary office in the Jakob Kaiser House of the Bundestag. The Bundestag had previously lifted his immunity.
Searches in several locations
According to the public prosecutor’s office, searches were also planned at several locations in Bavaria in the districts of Munich, Erding and Deggendorf as well as on Mallorca. Eleven public prosecutors and around 60 police officers from the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office were on duty. A spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office said that witnesses who were not considered defendants in the proceedings were also searched. The main aim is to secure documents and data carriers in order to search them for evidence.
The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office pointed out that the presumption of innocence applies until a possible conviction. Bystron itself could not initially be reached for comment. The MP from the Munich-North constituency has been the AfD’s chairman in the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee since 2017.
Headlines because of possible Russia and China connections
He is also in second place on the AfD’s list of candidates for the European elections on June 9th. Bystron and top candidate Maximilian Krah have been in the headlines for weeks because of possible connections to pro-Russian networks and possible financial payments. In March, following secret service investigations, the Czech Republic put the pro-Russian internet platform “Voice of Europe” (VoE) on the national sanctions list, and interviews with Bystron and Krah were also published there. The site is part of a Russian influence operation aimed at questioning Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and freedom. A Czech newspaper reported that Bystron may have also accepted money.
As a result of this and other reporting, the public prosecutor’s office in Munich initiated so-called preliminary investigations in the Bystron case in order to check whether there was initial suspicion of criminal behavior involving bribery of members of parliament. According to dpa information, the investigations that have now been initiated concern the allegations in connection with “Voice of Europe”.
The law enforcement authorities in Dresden had also initiated a preliminary investigation against Krah, who comes from Dresden, and another into possible payments from China. While the Munich team is now taking the next step and investigating Bystron, the preliminary investigation into the Krah case is continuing in Dresden. When asked in the Saxon state capital on Thursday, there was no new stand. Krah and Bystron stated that they had not accepted any money.
Krah is also in focus because his former employee Jian G. was arrested on suspicion of spying for China. In connection with the investigation against G., the Federal Prosecutor’s Office had Krah’s offices and those of his ex-employee in the European Parliament in Brussels searched on Tuesday last week. Documents belonging to Krah are protected by his immunity as an MP. Immunity can only be lifted by a resolution of Parliament at the request of the authorities. However, the responsible committee of the European Parliament will no longer meet before the European elections on June 9th. Krah himself denies any wrongdoing.
AfD leaders continue to miss evidence
The AfD leadership has so far stuck to its two European election candidates. After a short break, Krah is making campaign appearances again and in Bystron’s case, party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla only said briefly in writing on Thursday: “The lifting of immunity and the search of Petr Bystron’s office and private rooms are a serious matter.” So far, no evidence has been presented for the allegations that have been made against him for weeks. The group hopes that the investigation will be concluded quickly, “so that there is no suspicion that authorities and public prosecutors who are bound by instructions are trying to influence the European election campaign.”
Since the allegations against Bystron and Krah became known, there have been repeated speculations in the AfD that this could be in connection with the upcoming European elections in order to harm the AfD. AfD MP Stefan Keuter told journalists on Thursday on the sidelines of the search operation in Bystron’s Bundestag office: “The presumption of innocence still applies.” Bystron told him that the allegations were unfounded and that he had nothing to blame himself for. “And as long as there is no evidence that can be used in court to prove otherwise, I assume innocence.”
SPD demands consequences
The SPD parliamentary group called for consequences: “The AfD presents itself as a law-and-order party, but in its ranks there are people who only have their own benefit in mind. Even if Germany is damaged in the process, they don’t care at all “, said the parliamentary managing director of the parliamentary group, Katja Mast, ntv.de. The AfD party leadership must finally take responsibility.