BERLIN: German authorities have launched an investigation into far-right politician Maximilian Krah over suspected bribery from Chinese sources.
The 48-year-old Alternative for Germany party member had his parliamentary immunity lifted on Thursday following corruption allegations.
Krah strongly denied the accusations of money laundering and bribery, calling them politically motivated fabrications.
He described the subsequent search of his offices as an intimidation attempt against him.
The investigation follows the earlier arrest of his former European Parliament aide on espionage charges.
Prosecutors allege Jian Guo worked for Chinese intelligence while employed in Krah’s Brussels office.
Krah testified last week that he had no knowledge of his aide’s alleged espionage activities.
The Dresden Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated the bribery investigation earlier this year.
Authorities accuse Krah of accepting bribes as a European Parliament representative and money laundering involving Chinese payments.
Reports indicate the politician allegedly received over 50,000 euros from companies connected to Guo between 2019 and 2022.
German police conducted simultaneous searches of Krah’s offices in Berlin, Dresden and Brussels following the immunity waiver.
AfD leaders expressed concern about the investigation’s seriousness while demanding its swift conclusion.
The party leadership expects full transparency and publication of the investigation results once completed. – AFP