Offenburg/Kehl (dpa/lsw) – A former employee of the city of Kehl (Ortenaukreis) will soon have to answer to a court because he is said to have haggled with casino operators. According to information from Wednesday, the Offenburg district court wants to put the 41-year-old on trial from January. The public prosecutor accuses him of corruption and taking advantage.
As head of the Department of Citizen Service, Security and Public Order of the City of Kehl, he was responsible, among other things, for issuing licenses for the installation of slot machines and arcades. The public prosecutor’s office assumes, among other things, that he has promised two operators of gambling halls exemptions for the operation of their casinos, although the legal requirements for this were not in place. He is also said to have announced police checks in advance to protect the venues from complaints and fines. In return, he is said to have been invited to vacation stays and collected four-digit cash. He is said to have been promised 50,000 euros for his private property purchase.
With him in court are three men and a woman who are said to have been responsible for granting the benefits, including casino operators. The regional court initially scheduled five days of hearings from January 18th.
