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Police officers of a mobile task force (symbol image)
Photo: Carsten Rehder/dpa
The ammunition scandal, a forbidden admission ritual and now a dubious business trip: the police in Saxony can't rest, allegations against a special unit have become public again.
The Mobile Task Force (MEK) Dresden is said to have declared a skiing holiday in a four-star hotel in the Alps as a "training trip", reports the "Leipziger Volkszeitung" (LVZ), citing security circles.
According to the newspaper, it is about a training plan that the then MEK boss had confirmed as the responsible department head in the State Criminal Police Office (LKA).
Interior Minister Roland Wöller (CDU) was "shocked but not surprised" by the recent revelation.
Because: »After the ammunition scandal in the State Criminal Police Office, I set up an independent investigative commission to take a close look at the work of the special units - unfortunately, it could not be ruled out that further possible misconduct would become known.
Therefore, the investigations must and will be continued comprehensively and consistently," said Wöller of the German Press Agency.
Attorney General confirms investigation
The State Criminal Police Office did not comment on the new allegations when asked by the dpa and referred to an ongoing process.
A spokeswoman for the Dresden Public Prosecutor's Office said that the authority was investigating suspected fraud in connection with a training trip.
Members of the Saxon police were accused.
The spokeswoman did not provide any further information.
The public prosecutor's office in Dresden had made public last week that they were investigating 25 officers of the MEK Leipzig and a police doctor because of a forbidden admission ritual.
During a graduation procedure for two new MEK members, one of the two was shot and injured by a practice weapon.
Colored ammunition was fired.
The State Criminal Police Office had announced that two executives had been suspended.
The incidents had apparently come to light in the course of the MEK Dresden ammunition scandal.
In 2018, the command took part in shooting training at a private shooting range in Güstrow in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania without permission and paid for it with at least 7,000 rounds of ammunition from their own stocks.
Another 7,500 shots were stolen to complete the shooting training.
The Attorney General's Office has now filed charges against three police officers, and another 14 are still under investigation.
The command was dissolved.
Interior Minister Wöller is under pressure because of the police affairs and controversial personnel decisions.
After crisis talks with police unions, they reiterated their previous call for the minister to resign.
However, he received support from the head of the German Police Union (DPolG), Rainer Wendt.
He described Wöller as a politician who "tackles problems courageously and hands-on".
ptz/dpa
