The member of the state parliament Dr.
Franz Rieger and his campaign manager Peter Kittel will have to answer before the Regional Court of Regensburg from November 8th.
Regensburg - In the Regensburg * corruption affair, several important decisions are pending in November.
As early as November 4th, the Federal Court of Justice is dealing with the first instance judgment against the former Mayor of Regensburg, Joachim Wolbergs, in a public hearing.
He was convicted in June of last year on several perk cases.
The Wolberg Chamber acquitted of numerous other allegations.
It was about party donations from a property developer in the high six-digit range for the May 2013/14 election campaign.
These are said to have flowed through a straw man system organized with a high level of criminal energy.
At that time, the court refrained from imposing a penalty.
All those involved in the proceedings - defense and public prosecutor's office - have appealed.
Trial against members of the state parliament: he is accused of extortion
Just four days later, the member of the state parliament and former Regensburg CSU boss Franz Rieger had to answer before the regional court of Regensburg.
Likewise, its former campaign manager, the organizer Peter Kittel.
Rieger is accused of "extortion and aiding and abetting tax evasion in connection with the solicitation and concealment of campaign donations from the real estate industry on the occasion of his candidacy for the Bavarian state parliament in 2013".
Peter Kittel has to answer for aiding and abetting tax evasion "by issuing bogus invoices".
Trial against MPs: Entrepreneur burdens Rieger heavily
Rieger has been investigated since summer 2018. There were several house searches. The indictment followed in December 2019. Previously, the Bavarian state parliament had lifted Rieger's immunity. Specifically, the allegations are about 90,000 euros from the environment of the developers Volker T. and Thomas D., which are said to have been illegally broken up and disguised via a straw man system and bogus bills.
The allegations are based in particular on a statement by Thomas D. The entrepreneur has stated in several statements that Rieger has requested donations of 60,000 euros from him, combined with the reference to future building permits and building areas.
The situation described by Dietlmeier made the rounds long before the investigation against Rieger in Regensburg.
Even in the city council, the discussion was part of an exchange of blows between Rieger and Wolbergs.
Rieger himself protests his innocence.
Disguised election campaign donations: the bogus billing system
D. is said to have paid in several ways.
On the one hand, in 2013 he himself donated 9,900 euros to the CSU for Rieger's state election campaign.
On the other hand, according to the public prosecutor's office, he took over bills of around 30,000 euros from Kittels Password GmbH without having received anything in return.
Rieger, himself a lawyer, is said to have asserted in an interview with D. his alleged influence in the local press and the “local judiciary”.
Curious: In fact, several judges at the regional court subsequently reported a possible bias - however, these voluntary reports were consistently viewed as unfounded.
Trial against Franz Rieger: No prior agreement
In the run-up to the trial this week both the public prosecutor's office and the regional court denied that there had already been any kind of understanding, or otherwise known as a “deal”, between the parties involved.
A press spokesman for the Regensburg public prosecutor confirmed that the status of the proceedings was discussed with Rieger's defense after the investigation was over and before the indictment was brought.
However, this date was inconclusive.
An understanding between the public prosecutor's office and the defense was not brought about.
Since then, a spokesman for the regional court clarifies, there have been no mutual agreement talks.
Corruption affair in Regensburg: fines in the millions
In the course of the Regensburg corruption affair, which has preoccupied the district capital of Upper Palatinate since 2016, there have so far been - as far as is known - three legally binding convictions by order of punishment and seven not yet legally binding convictions via trial.
The imprisonment sentences pronounced (on probation) add up to two years and ten months, fines of at least 1.5 million euros were imposed.
In addition, there are 13 settings against monetary requirements, which in individual cases can reach up to 80,000 euros.
In addition to Wolbergs, his former CSU competitor for the OB candidacy and several well-known Regensburg entrepreneurs are also affected.
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