Lindner threatened investigations into corruption
The Treasury Secretary delivered a video greeting to the bank that approved loans to him. The Berlin judiciary is examining the lifting of his MP immunity.
dpa / Britta Pedersen
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner has become the focus of the Berlin public prosecutor’s office. The FDP boss is threatened with a media report that investigations into suspected corruption are expected. The politician is said to have accepted favors for a private customer bank in Karlsruhe, which approved loans for his private villa purchase in Berlin. one Report of the daily mirror The corruption department of the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office is now examining the lifting of Lindner’s parliamentary immunity in order to be able to formally investigate him. Lindner rejected the allegations on Sunday evening.
When preparing a ministerial greeting for BBBank in May 2022, the FDP leader is said to have concealed the fact that he took out a loan from the bank for his private house purchase. Because after the greeting, which was also recorded on video, he took out a loan from the same bank, he is now threatened with criminal proceedings for accepting an advantage. A judicial spokesman told the Tagesspiegel that this is “usual in such cases and without making a statement about the existence of an initial suspicion”.
Villa in Berlin: Lindner registered an unusually high land charge
Review: Spiegel research revealed last autumn that Lindner had bought a two-family house in Berlin’s Nikolassee villa district for 1.65 million euros in January 2021. He received the credit for this from the aforementioned bank, for which he also gave several lectures and accepted fees for them. He is also said to have taken part in an image video for the bank. A month later, Lindner reportedly registered an unusually high land charge of 2.35 million euros. Such land charges serve to secure the loan. In the event of non-payment, the bank can enforce.
At the beginning of July 2022, Lindner borrowed money from BBBank again, they say. He reportedly registered another mortgage, this time for €450,000. It is not yet clear whether this actually has any relevant connection with the minister’s greeting.
Christian Lindner rejects the allegations
Lindner immediately rejected the allegations. His lawyer Christian Schertz announced on Sunday evening: “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 official conduct of a minister.”
After the cooperation between the bank and Lindner became known, the anti-corruption organization Transparency International publicly demanded that to disclose the processes surrounding the purchase of the property. Neither Lindner personally nor the Federal Ministry of Finance have so far given any specific information on this.