As of: January 19, 2024, 7:06 a.m
By: Vincent Fischer
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Press
Split
The mayor of the city of Selbitz, Stefan Busch, has to answer in court again.
(Symbolic image) © Jonas Walzberg/dpa/Symbolic image
The mayor of Selbitz (Hof district), Stefan Busch, is on trial.
He is said to be responsible for the fact that the city has paid too low supplements to construction yard employees for years.
Hof – It is a sensational appeal process that recently started at the Hof Regional Court.
The defendant is Stefan Busch (non-party voter Selbitz), mayor of the city of Selbitz (Hof district).
The public prosecutor's office accuses the politician of being responsible for the fact that several employees of the construction yard were paid too low supplements for on-call services for years.
Busch and his defense attorney reject the allegations.
Because of incorrect payslips: Mayor Stefan Busch in court
What got the case rolling was a lack of social security contributions, specifically to health insurance companies, nursing care, unemployment and pension insurance, totaling around 38,000 euros.
In a first trial in autumn 2022, the Hof district court acquitted Mayor Busch.
Although it was a case of “sloppiness and procrastination”, it was not an intentional criminal act.
(By the way: Our Bayern newsletter informs you daily about all the important stories from Bavaria.)
The public prosecutor's office had appealed against the acquittal.
At the beginning of the proceedings, Busch protested his innocence, according to a BR report.
Not he, but employees from the administration are responsible for the payroll.
“I don’t know anything about social security contributions,” BR quotes Busch.
The public prosecutor's office appeals: the defense criticizes sharply
In 2017, the municipal audit association pointed out to the administration that the payment for on-call services was not in line with the collective agreement due to an instruction from the former mayor and member of the state parliament, Klaus Adelt (SPD).
But it wasn't until 2019 that the city reacted to a change in personnel and paid the missing surcharges.
The missing social security contributions were also paid later, said Busch.
If you condemn a mayor here for these events, then you will soon find no one else doing the mayor's job
Tobias Liebau, defense attorney for the defendant Stefan Busch.
Because of these events, the mayor of Selbitz now has to answer before the Hof regional court.
His defense attorney Tobias Liebau sharply criticized the public prosecutor's office.
“If you condemn a mayor here for these events, then you will soon find no one else doing the job of a mayor,” he said, according to BR.
A verdict in the trial is expected to be made in mid-February.
(vfi)
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