The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office has brought charges for alleged bribery and corruption of elected officials. The authority announced this, as reported by “Der Spiegel”. The case against Fischer and Lintner also involves the CDU politician Karin Strenz. However, Strenz passed away unexpectedly during her return from vacation in 2021.
Union members accused of accepting funds from Aserbaidschan
The prosecution accuses Lintner of receiving funds from Aserbaidschan and partly passing them on to members of parliament, including Strenz. The politicians were expected to make decisions in favor of the country in exchange for the money. Particularly affected were votes in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Aserbaidschan is also a member of the Council of Europe and could benefit from certain decisions.
According to the prosecution, Strenz promised to act “in accordance with the instructions of Aserbaidschan” in exchange for the money. The prosecutors also allege that CDU politician Fischer acted in the interest of the country. It was also noted that other Union politicians had drawn attention due to their unusual proximity to Aserbaidschan. However, no charges are being brought against them. It was already known in 2012 that Aserbaidschan allegedly influenced MPs from other countries to mitigate criticism of the problematic human rights situation in the country.
