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RBB in Berlin: Crisis over accusations of nepotism and controversial consulting contracts
Photo: Carsten Koall / dpa
Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) has separated from the last remaining members of the management team around the director Patricia Schlesinger, who was fired without notice.
In a message to the station employees on the company's intranet, which the dpa news agency has, the public broadcaster ARD writes that the separation of Hagen Brandstätter as administrative director and Christoph Augenstein as production and operations director has officially been completed.
Interim director Katrin Vernau is quoted as saying: "This is a turning point and will help us to start over at RBB." Reasons and details for the separation were not given in the message.
Even when asked, the broadcaster gave no statement and referred to legal reasons.
No member of the then management left
This means that no member of the management team around the former director Patricia Schlesinger is anymore active at RBB.
Last summer, the broadcaster fell into a deep crisis, allegations of nepotism and a number of controversial consulting contracts had caused criticism.
The former program director had recently left the house, and legal director Susann Lange had been recalled.
The latter is defending itself against the extraordinary termination before a labor court, but there has not yet been a decision.
Administrative Director Brandstätter had already been on sick leave several months ago and was recently no longer active in day-to-day business.
Director Vernau had meanwhile made it clear that his contract, which actually ran until the end of April, should end prematurely.
At the center of the RBB affair are Schlesinger and the resigned chairman of the board of directors, Wolf-Dieter Wolf.
Both had always denied the allegations made against them.
The public prosecutor's office in Berlin is investigating several members of the former management, among other things, it is about infidelity and aiding and abetting infidelity.
The presumption of innocence applies until the investigation is completed.
ani/dpa
