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Bernd Wiegand (archive photo)
Photo: Hendrik Schmidt / dpa
When the corona vaccination campaign in Germany had just started, Halle's Lord Mayor Bernd Wiegand received a dose.
That sparked outrage, as the non-party politician was still far from it according to the prioritization order.
The matter had consequences for Wiegand: The city council decided to withdraw his official business.
This decision remains valid for the time being.
The Halle Administrative Court rejected an urgent application from Wiegand.
He had sued against the city council's ban.
Wiegand had admitted that, contrary to the prioritization, he had received a vaccination against the corona virus in January.
Several city councils and members of the emergency response team were also vaccinated.
In February, the public prosecutor had Wiegand's office searched.
In April, the city council finally forbade him to continue running the official business.
According to the Civil Service Status Act, the withdrawal of official business includes both a house ban and the return of official objects.
Serious allegations
In the opinion of the judges, the city council's decision in April came about properly and was also justified.
The accusations made against Wiegand by the public prosecutor's office, the municipal supervisory authority of the state of Saxony-Anhalt and the city council itself are so serious that, in the event of confirmation, removal from the civil service is possible.
In addition, there were indications that Wiegand wanted to hinder the investigation of the incidents, it said.
However, the decision is not final.
Wiegand can still appeal to the Higher Administrative Court in Magdeburg.
Salary cut by a fifth
The city council chairwoman Katja Müller (left) had named the premature vaccination of Wiegand and the resulting disturbed relationship of trust as the reason for the temporary ban on official business.
It is mainly about the circumstances accompanying the early vaccination.
In the opinion of the city council, Wiegand told the board the untruth.
In another case for earlier breaches of duty, Wiegand suffered a defeat in court at the beginning of May.
The state administration office had previously announced that Wiegand would cut his salary by a fifth for six months.
The Magdeburg Administrative Court dismissed a lawsuit.
The background to this is, for example, violations when submitting an establishment plan.
Wiegand can also take action against this before the Higher Administrative Court.
lau / AFP
