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Drugs and a Hitler salute in the beer garden: ex-policeman convicted in Munich
The police headquarters in the city center. The legal processing of the drug scandal by the Munich police is still not complete. A new trial against a police officer has now begun at the Munich district court.
© Sven Hoppe / DPA
More than two years ago, a drug scandal shook the Munich police. In the meantime, the legal investigation is in full swing – and it is becoming clear that drug allegations against police officers are only the tip of the iceberg.
A Hitler salute in a beer garden, a racist comment, cannabis and cocaine: the district court in Munich has sentenced a former police officer to a total of 4,200 euros for various crimes. The court on Wednesday found him guilty of using license plates belonging to unconstitutional organizations, possessing and acquiring drugs and violating personal rights by taking pictures.
280 daily rates of 15 euros were imposed. The public prosecutor had demanded a fine of 310 daily rates of 15 euros, the defense 250 daily rates of 10 euros. The man had largely admitted the allegations and apologized to the court, the public prosecutor’s office and his former colleagues “for the image that I have now publicized of the profession”.
Drug scandal at the police in Munich
The 32-year-old, who has not been a police officer since last year, denied racist sentiments. However, through his lawyer, he not only confessed to a Hitler salute in the beer garden. He also admitted to sending photos of a bound prisoner in his underwear and an insulting comment referring to his black skin color in 2017.
From the point of view of the court, these allegations weigh heavily. “Especially as a police officer, you have increased duties here,” said the judge – namely “preventing racist attitudes from flaring up again in the Federal Republic”.
The allegations against the man, who now works as a fitness trainer, came to light as part of the investigation into the drug scandal by the Munich police. He also admitted to the allegation of drug possession. “Buffi-Buffi” was mentioned in chats with police colleagues when the men wanted to smoke pot together. According to the investigators, when it came to cocaine, they wrote “Miami” – or simply “K”.
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37 accused in the coke scandal
He had had “regular use of narcotics, namely cocaine and cannabis” since the beginning of 2017, according to the original penalty order against the man. The trial only came about because the former police officer had lodged an objection to parts of this penalty order that related to details of the drug-related offences. He did not dispute the other points – such as showing the Hitler salute in 2018. In the penalty order, the fine was 350 daily rates at 75 euros. The contradiction was worth it, at least financially.
For the Munich police, the allegations that become known in the court proceedings are once again a disaster. And they are anything but isolated. Because in the course of their investigations into the 37 suspects in the coke scandal, the police and public prosecutors also came across numerous other crimes. The “Süddeutsche Zeitung” reported on 235 individual offenses from all possible areas: corruption, deprivation of liberty, dangerous bodily harm, incitement to hatred or frustration of justice.
Not just a Munich problem
The Munich I public prosecutor’s office confirms this, but emphasizes that the number 235 is “probably the police record of the crimes”. The public prosecutor’s office does not see sufficient suspicion for every offense counted by the police.
Figures from the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (LKA) show that delinquent police officers are not just a Munich problem. Last year, it determined almost 1,500 cases of various crimes against police officers. In twelve cases it was about the suspicion of incitement to hatred or the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations. In the current year, according to an LKA spokeswoman, investigations into the suspicion of sedition are being carried out “currently in a low single-digit range”.
The LKA could not say how many suspects are behind the almost 1,500 cases. But: “In principle, experience has shown that the number of cases and suspects should be largely congruent,” said the spokeswoman. However, there are also exceptions – for example, if the accused has committed different crimes. The Bavarian police has around 41,400 employees.