Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) – The Frankfurt public prosecutor’s office is now also investigating a former senior city employee in connection with the Awo affair. As a spokeswoman for the authority confirmed on Tuesday, investigations into suspicion of accepting an advantage are ongoing. The “Frankfurter Rundschau” reported first.
Accordingly, the public prosecutor’s office assumes that there was a tacit agreement between the 53-year-old and the Arbeiterwohlfahrt (Awo). So he was supposed to be benevolent towards the Awo in his official act and in return he was given the prospect that his sister would get a job with the Awo or a company run by the workers’ welfare organization.
The city of Frankfurt confirmed on Tuesday that the 53-year-old was no longer active in his post. According to the responsible department, he wants to face new professional challenges. Therefore, the city of Frankfurt “terminated the employment contract with him by mutual agreement”.
According to media reports, the man is considered a confidant of the former SPD mayor Peter Feldmann. Feldmann had also been investigated in the course of his close ties to workers’ welfare. In November last year, the mayor was voted out of office in a procedure unprecedented for Frankfurt. Shortly thereafter, Feldmann was sentenced to a fine of 120 daily rates of 175 euros in the corruption trial. The politician had always denied being corrupt. The verdict is not yet legally binding.
The case against Feldmann is related to the scandal surrounding allegations of fraud in the millions at the Awo district associations in Frankfurt and Wiesbaden. The affair had already started at the end of 2019 due to reports about Feldmann’s former wife’s former management position.
