Public prosecutor’s office is examining the lifting of Christian Lindner’s immunity
Prosecutor General is considering lifting Lindner’s immunity
When preparing a greeting for a bank, Finance Minister Lindner apparently concealed the fact that he had taken out a loan from the institute for his private house purchase. Because he then had another loan granted, he is now threatened with criminal proceedings for accepting an advantage.
FDP leader Christian Lindner wrote a greeting for a bank from which he also received a loan for his house. The Attorney General’s Office is now examining whether this constitutes an advantage – and whether the finance minister’s immunity for investigations will be lifted.
BFederal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner (FDP) apparently concealed the fact that he had taken out a loan from the institute for his private house purchase when preparing a ministerial greeting for a private customer bank in Karlsruhe in May 2022. Because after the greeting he had another loan from the same bank, he is now threatened with criminal proceedings for accepting an advantage.
The corruption department of the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office is currently examining the lifting of Lindner’s immunity as a member of parliament in order to be able to formally investigate, reports the Berliner “daily mirror“. A spokesman emphasized that this is “usual in such cases and without making a statement about the existence of an initial suspicion.” A decision is expected soon.
There does not have to be a specific official act to accept an advantage
Lindner’s actions could be punishable if the second loan is related to the official greeting. It’s a matter of circumstances. In order to accept an advantage, however, no reference to a specific official act is required. It should be prevented that the mere appearance of venality is created by officials. Therefore, there could also be a threat of investigations into those responsible at BBBank for granting advantages.
Lindner’s lawyer Christian Schertz announced on Sunday: “Mr. Lindner started his private real estate financing long before he took over his ministry. All conditions were always customary in the market. Granting a short greeting on anniversaries such as the centenary of a bank is part of the normal conduct of a minister’s office.” Schertz further explained that there was no connection between the two processes – the greeting and private real estate financing. Lindner sees “today’s reporting with composure”.
The reason for the investigation by the public prosecutor’s office were media reports of the “mirror“ last October about Lindner’s private house purchase. A good month after the congratulations, the politician charged his property in the posh Berlin district of Nikolassee with 450,000 euros in favor of the Karlsruher Genossenschaftsbank, according to the magazine.