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Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff
Photo: Ronny Hartmann / dpa
In Saxony-Anhalt, four police officers are suspected of having been in chats with right-wing extremist, anti-constitutional content.
The MDR had first reported that SPIEGEL had confirmed the facts from state politics.
Two of the officials are said to have worked as bodyguards for the Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt Reiner Haseloff (CDU).
Two other officers were SEK police officers.
Two of the four officials were suspended, the other two transferred.
The exact background, for example whether the accused themselves spread right-wing extremist content, is not yet known.
The two bodyguards are said to have worked in the immediate vicinity of the Prime Minister since 2012.
Politicians' bodyguards usually have a close relationship with their protectee and receive sensitive information.
In this case, the officials worked alongside heads of government for years.
As the MDR reports, they are said to have behaved inconspicuously.
The information about the chats is said to have gone from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to Saxony-Anhalt shortly before Christmas.
In Magdeburg they reacted immediately.
Greens and left are concerned
The Green parliamentary group was "extremely concerned" after the suspicion became known.
"Protecting our constitutional bodies from attacks by enemies of the constitution is the task of all police officers in Saxony-Anhalt," said Sebastian Striegel, spokesman for domestic affairs for the Greens in the Magdeburg state parliament.
If bodyguards prove to be unreliable or if they are active in an anti-constitutional way, this endangers the constitutional organs themselves.
The left-wing faction in the state parliament was also alarmed and referred to the State Criminal Police Office as the body that is not only responsible for personal protection, but also for the development of protection concepts for those threatened by right-wing extremist violence.
"If right-wing extremists work in these areas to identify and combat threats, it's an incredible scandal and devastating for those affected and those who need protection."
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