Criminality - Alleged smuggler met with government members
A suspected head of a smuggling ring, which is alleged to have helped wealthy Chinese and Omani people obtain residency permits in Germany, has had numerous meetings with members of the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) state government, according to information provided to the SPD fraction. The majority of these meetings were facilitated through the activities of a Berlin lawyer.
The lawyer is reported to have met with the former Green politician Hubert Kleinert regarding a planned sand and gravel extraction project on behalf of an industry company in NRW. A video conference on the same topic was also attended by NRW Economic Minister Mona Neubaur (Greens), former Landesminister Ernst Schwanhold (SPD), who is an active partner of the same Berlin firm.
The lawyer, who is under investigation by the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor's Office, also visited State Secretary Bernd Schulte (CDU) at the State Chancellery. The topic of the meeting was not disclosed. Another meeting with Schulte followed. The lawyer, along with a former CDU Bundestag member, was also present at a consultation firm for Minister Ina Scharrenbach (CDU).
The NRW state government reportedly gave the lawyer more access than previously known, according to SPD deputy Christina Kampmann. Therefore, it is important to know what was discussed during the lawyer's meetings with State Secretary Schulte.
NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) had previously granted the lawyer eight meetings, as the lawyer had been a CDU member for years. One of these meetings was reportedly about the interests of a sports betting association. The lobbying activities of the lawyer, according to the current statements of the prosecution, are not the focus of the investigations.
The suspected smuggling ring is believed to have obtained residency permits for wealthy individuals from China and Oman, with up to 350,000 euros paid in individual cases. In April, the police searched apartments in eight federal states in connection with the case.
The investigators suspect that the suspected smugglers may have bribed public officials in authorities to ensure that their clients from abroad received the desired residency permits. The investigations were reportedly initiated by the Public Prosecutor's Office in 2020, and some of the alleged offenses are said to have occurred in the years 2016/2017.
The Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor's Office is also investigating Düren County Council Chairman Wolfgang Spelthahn (CDU) on suspicion of bribery and Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach (SPD). In total, the prosecution is currently investigating 58 suspects and 147 alleged beneficiaries who are believed to have obtained illegal residency permits through the smugglers.
- The Attorney General from the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor's Office is reportedly investigating the SPEED at which criminal activities in the smuggling ring were conducted.
- The SPD fraction is calling for transparency in the meetings between the suspected head of the smuggling ring and members of the NRW state government, particularly with regards to the RESIDENCE TITLE issue.
- During one of the lawyer's meetings with Cologne City Announcer Oliver Krischer, the topic of migration policies was discussed.
- The CDU has defended its relationship with the lawyer under investigation, stating that he once held a PARTNER position within the party in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- Mona Neubaur and Hubert Kleinert, both from the CDU and Green parties respectively, are being scrutinized for their involvement with the Berlin lawyer.
- The lawyer's keychain, a symbol of his association with the CDU, has become a subject of interest as investigations continue.
- The State parliament in North Rhine-Westphalia is closely monitoring the developments regarding the smuggling ring, with hopes for improved governance in the future.
- The Public Prosecutor's Office has revealed that there have been instances of Criminality extending beyond just the smuggling ring, involving potential bribes to public officials.
- Germany's political landscape is currently in unease, with suspicions of corruption centering around the CDU and SPD, from top officials down to local mayors, such as Düren County Council Chairman Wolfgang Spelthahn and Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach.
