Transitioning - Upon encounter with suspected trafficking ring leader: "We were unaware"
A rumored head of a human trafficking ring composed of affluent international clients reportedly had no power over North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul's (CDU) political agenda, as per Reul's declarations in a special Innenusschuss meeting in the Düsseldorf state legislature. "The donations didn't impact my actions - not a bit," Reul told the body on Tuesday. In his meetings with the Cologne-based lawyer, he never had any inkling about the man's questionable activities: "I firmly believed that this individual was above board, and there was nothing to contemplate."
Right before the special session, Reul admitted to eight encounters with the hostile attorney. The initial get-together took place in February 2022 at the Interior Ministry, while the others involved the presence of other parties, as the lawyer had effectively introduced them, indicated Reul in the committee.
Reul was informed that the man aspired to assist him. Therefore, he described the individual as an active CDU member, dad of three kids, who owned a law practice and held a renowned reputation, also working for a Berlin communications company. "Had no reason to doubt him," Reul expressed.
Just prior to the May 2022 state election, three donations totaling €30,000 from the lawyer entered Reul's Rhein-Berg District, as he explained. These donations were split in a way that kept them below the legal threshold of €10,000. Despite the sums and dismantling of them, "legally it was all fine," Reul said. Discussing donations or even their division had never emerged in the meetings.
Reul refuted the assertion from the SPD opposition that his appointments with the NRW Interior Minister could be acquired. He converses with many people, Reul mentioned. The meeting with the lawyer at the Interior Ministry wasn't exclusive nor unique: "If politicians cease conversing with others and merely chat with themselves, then one could infer."
"At the time, I was in the dark, had no grounds at all to question the legitimacy of this individual," Reul clarified. Currently, he realizes that the meetings shouldn't have taken place: "Politically, it was probably unwise."
The implied human trafficking ring was presumed to have obtained residence permits for affluent clients from China and Oman, dating back to a few years ago. The authorities carried out searches of residences in eight federal states in April.
Investigators allege that the supposed human traffickers could have bribed officials in various agencies to secure residence permits for their overseas customers. The inquiries had already commenced in 2020, and the infractions were supposedly committed since 2016/2017.
Reul stated that six police dog handlers with canines were solicited from his residence by the Federal Police. Consequently, neither the state Interior Ministry nor Reul himself were involved in the operation.
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- Amidst allegations of a smuggling gang involving affluent international clients, German Government and the Ministry of the Interior in North Rhine-Westphalia have been under scrutiny, with the State election campaign adding to the tension.
- The Special meeting in the Innenusschuss committee in Düsseldorf state legislature discussed the role of the suspected trafficking ring leader, whom Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) claimed to have no knowledge of any illegal activities.
- The CDU politician denied any influence from the lawyer's donations, amounting to €30,000 during the state election campaign, stating that the meetings with the individual never involved discussions about donations.
- The smuggling gang has been accused of securing residence permits for affluent clients from China and Oman, raising concerns about corruption within various government agencies.
- The Parliament has begun an investigation into the possible bribery of officials involved in granting residence permits, with searches conducted in eight federal states as part of this operation.
- The special meeting also touched upon the CDU's campaign strategy, with Reul stressing the importance of maintaining open communication with various individuals and parties during the election period.
- The government and Reul have been criticized for their handling of the situation, with calls for tighter controls on donations and increased transparency during the election campaigns to prevent potential criminal activities.
Source: www.stern.de
