- The Controversial Ticket Appeal: Challenging a Previous High-Ranking Government Official
In regards to the 2017 Rolling Stones concert in Hamburg, a retrial for a former high-ranking official in the finance department started on Tuesday. The prosecution claims the 64-year-old individual accepted kickbacks, along with persuading a subordinate to partake in illegal activities. Back in late 2019, the Hamburg District Court penalized the official with a daily fine of €170 for 120 days. Unsatisfied with the verdict, they chose to appeal the decision, leading to this current trial at a higher regional court.
Charges: Favoritism and falsified documentation
Allegations against the former state counselor of the 7 Hamburg districts state that they accepted two complimentary concert tickets, offered by the then-head of the North District Office. These tickets were not part of the normal ticket sale allocation. Moreover, the defendant, acting as the superior in disciplinary matters, granted permission for the North District Office head to attend a pre-concert event and distributed four free tickets to associates through a backdated letter. The regional court has scheduled two more trial dates: August 28 and September 2, as announced by the court press office.
Previous convictions for the North District Office head and deputy
The North District Office granted approval for the concert with an estimated 82,000 attendees in Hamburg Stadtpark. In early April 2022, the North District Office head was convicted for accepting and granting bribes, leading to a daily fine of €120 for 180 days. However, the regional court exonerated them of the primary charges of corruption and breach of trust. The North District Office head's former deputy was found guilty of receiving bribes and aiding and abetting, earning a daily fine of €110 for 110 days. Two event agency colleagues responsible for organizing the concert were acquitted of all bribery charges.
Appellate Court Justice overturns original decision
The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) reversed the verdict in August, referring the case back to a new chamber (Az.: 5 StR 447/22). In their opinion, the original verdict was "blatantly wrong". The regional court files have yet to be returned to Hamburg, over a year since the initial reversal, as stated by the press office.
Despite the ongoing legal drama, the 2017 Musicaufnahme der Rolling Stones in Hamburg was an unforgettable concert experience for many. The controversy surrounding the former state counselor and the North District Office head has cast a shadow over the event, with allegations of misconduct and kickbacks tied to complimentary concert tickets.
