Justice - Court: District councillor Hönicke was rightly dismissed
The district councillor Kevin Hönicke (SPD) in Berlin-Lichtenberg has rightly been released from duty following a court decision. If a councillor breaches his duty of confidentiality by passing on internal emails to a journalist, he can be banned from conducting official business, the Berlin Administrative Court ruled in summary proceedings, as announced on Tuesday. District mayor Martin Schaefer (CDU) had prohibited Hönicke from working. He appealed to the court and has now lost.
The public prosecutor's office has been investigating since October because Hönicke is said to have anonymously sent a journalist 20 pages of internal emails in May 2023 about allegations of abuse of office and sexual harassment in another district office. It was about alleged incidents a year earlier. Internal investigations had not confirmed the allegations at the time.
Hönicke was discovered as the sender of the anonymous letter because the stamp was ordered via his email address. At the end of October 2023, the public prosecutor's office opened an investigation against him on suspicion of violating official secrecy.
The administrative court now argued that the link between the stamp on the anonymous letter and Hönicke's email address in particular indicated that he had sent internal information and thus breached his duty of confidentiality under civil service law. This had damaged the relationship of trust. SPD politician Hönicke was responsible for construction, urban development, labor and social affairs in Lichtenberg.
PM Lichtenberg district office on the dismissal
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- The decision made by the Administrative Court in Berlin has significant implications for municipalities and their officials, as it established that breaching the duty of confidentiality can result in dismissal.
- The Court decision against district councillor Hönicke (SPD) from Berlin-Lichtenberg will likely serve as a reminder to other political personalities within the district and beyond, as they uphold their roles in various departments, such as construction, urban development, labor, and social affairs.
- The CDU's district mayor, Martin Schäfer, initially prohibited Hönicke from carrying out official duties due to allegations of violating confidentiality, which later led to his dismissal following the Court's ruling.
- Berlin's Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation into Hönicke's activities in October 2023, after it was revealed that he was behind the anonymous leak of internal emails regarding abuse of office and sexual harassment allegations in another district office.
- The justice system's pursuit of accountability in local Berlin politics continues to unfold, with several high-profile cases being investigated and addressed, such as the investigation into a clan member and the trial of an individual suspected of committing murder 37 years ago.
- The resulting dismissal of Hönicke underscores the fact that misconduct within municipalities and political offices receives due scrutiny and punishment, upholding justice in Berlin's political landscape.
Source: www.stern.de
