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Saxon LKA chief Petric Kleine: "I am ashamed of what officials in my office have done"
Photo: Sebastian Kahnert / dpa
After the ammunition scandal at the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) Saxony, the authority's management announced an in-depth review and a different control system.
It should be clarified to what extent ammunition has been removed from the armory for target practice in recent years and whether the training actually took place, said LKA boss Petric Kleine after a special meeting of the interior committee in the state parliament.
The coalition factions of the CDU, Greens and SPD had requested the special meeting.
On Tuesday it became known that a mobile task force (MEK) of the LKA 2018 took part in shooting training on a private shooting range in Güstrow in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania without a permit and is said to have paid for it with at least 7,000 rounds of ammunition from the stocks of the LKA in Saxony.
The whereabouts of the ammunition is unclear.
"I am ashamed of what officials in my office have done."
Saxony LKA boss Petric Kleine
"I'm ashamed of what officials in my office have done," said Kleine.
The reputation of the Saxon police suffered from the incident.
According to public prosecutor Nicole Geisler, the accused include the command leader and three shooting coaches.
The public prosecutor's office is investigating them on suspicion of collective theft, violation of the gun law and corruption.
"Another 13 police officers between the ages of 30 and 54 who are suspected of aiding and abetting the theft and of violating the weapons law took part in the unauthorized shooting training." The authority also determines whether there are any contacts between the 17 officers concerned and right-wing extremists Scene there.
The behavior of the officials horrified him, said Saxony's Interior Minister Roland Wöller (CDU) on Tuesday.
He also spoke of an "inconceivable level" of "criminal energy" that would have shown itself should the allegations prove to be true.
"Every violation of the law by a police officer means an enormous loss of confidence," said Wöller.
Now you have to clarify thoroughly, comprehensively, but also quickly.
He does not rule out personal consequences at the LKA.
The four main suspects are released from service with immediate effect, it said.
The other 13 officers are no longer allowed to enter their offices and should be deployed outside the LKA.
After searches in the greater Dresden area, objects seized, including »means of communication«, are now to be evaluated.
The case may have a dimension that extends far beyond Saxony: The current investigations were initiated by investigations by the Schwerin public prosecutor against the then owner of "Baltic Shooters", who is said to have been involved in the swap deal with the Dresden MEK police officers.
This is the shooting expert Frank T., who is said to belong to the environment of the right-wing extremist group "Nordkreuz".
wit / dpa