Lindner threatens trouble: Because of the bank's greeting - the corruption department is allegedly examining criminal proceedings

Created: 08/01/2023 18:01

By: Patrick Mayer

Federal Minister of Finance: Christian Lindner from the FDP.

© IMAGO/Arnulf Hettrich

According to a report, the corruption department of Berlin's public prosecutor's office is considering lifting Christian Lindner's immunity as a member of parliament.

It is said to be about a bank greeting - and a large loan.

Munich/Berlin - For the FDP, things are not going particularly well in federal politics, at least not as far as the voters' favor is concerned.

Because: According to the latest survey by the opinion research institute Forsa, the Liberals are currently just 7 percent.

Christian Lindner: Does the FDP leader lose immunity as a member of the Bundestag?

In the winter of 2021/22, shortly after the federal elections, they were at times up to 16 percent.

The focus of the Free Democrats is traditionally party leader Christian Lindner.

But: Is the Federal Minister of Finance now threatened with trouble?

Because: As the

reports, the corruption department of the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office is allegedly examining the lifting of Lindner's immunity as a member of the German Bundestag.

In the video: FDP leader Christian Lindner wants to reduce income tax

A spokesman for the Berlin public prosecutor's office said that this was "usual in such cases" without "already making a statement about the existence of an initial suspicion".

The authority's spokesman said: "As is usual in such cases and without making any statement about the existence of an initial suspicion, the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office is - based on the reports of the 'Spiegel' in a with MPs with regard to their Immunity usual preliminary examination occurred, which is still ongoing."

Christian Lindner: Minister's greeting for Karlsruher Bank in focus

What it is about: When preparing a ministerial greeting for a private customer bank in Karlsruhe in May 2022, Lindner apparently concealed the fact that he had taken out a loan from the same institute to buy a private house, writes the

.

Because he allegedly took another loan from the same bank after the greeting, he is now threatened with criminal proceedings for accepting an advantage, it is said.

But only after the immunity has been lifted can a formal investigation be carried out.

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According to

, finance minister and FDP boss Lindner paid 1.65 million euros just for the purchase of the property in the south of Berlin - without renovation.

, the land charge for the house  was set at a total of 2.8 million euros when it

was financed by the - named - BBBank  .

So significantly higher than the purchase price.

Lindner is also said to have appeared in an advertising film for the bank and to have given well-paid lectures for the bank several times, the news magazine reported.

Christian Lindner: Federal Minister of Finance criticized for credit for buying a house

"From our point of view, it would therefore make sense for the minister to create transparency about his appearances and involvement with the bank as quickly as possible," said Margarete Bause, Vice President of Transparency Germany, most recently to the 

.

This is the only way he can "proactively eliminate" allegations of possible preferential terms.