Johanniter Cologne investigate allegations of extremism – news
First the Berliner had died TAZ reported that employees had shown closeness to Reich citizens and the right-wing extremist Identitarian Movement. The birthdays of Joseph Goebbels, Eva Braun and Adolf Hitler were also entered on the wall calendar in a police station.
Those responsible at Johanniter Unfallhilfe today only reply by e-mail to the allegations made by a former employee. One is in appointments and asks for written questions, it says. Telephone calls are not answered. The former employee had already raised the allegations in 2020 and apparently expanded them in the meantime.
The Johanniter explained that WDR to take the new allegations seriously. However, the then regional board had already carried out investigations in 2020 without any results. 18 employees were interviewed.
Fire department and city 2020 not informed
An approval in the statement raises questions. Accordingly, the Johanniter Unfallhilfe would regret that the then regional board in 2020 neither informed the Cologne professional fire brigade nor the city of Cologne. When asked specifically, it was then said that this had only happened on September 8 of this year.
New investigation at the Johanniter Unfallhilfe Cologne
However, the Johanniter promise a new examination today. At the same time, a spokeswoman protested against a blanket condemnation of the permit and the rescue service. The public prosecutor’s office in Cologne sees no reason to initiate investigations. There is neither the receipt of a complaint nor an initial suspicion. Entering the birthdays of Nazi greats is not a criminal offence. For example, showing a Hitler salute is only punishable in public.
The WDR radio news also reports on this topic on September 17th, 2022.