Violation of party law?
Police search AfD Lower Saxony rooms
April 17, 2024, 2:25 p.m
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In the morning, police officers arrived in front of the offices of the Lower Saxony AfD. On behalf of the public prosecutor’s office, they carry several boxes with files out of the building. The judiciary is investigating the suspicion that a member of the state parliament has committed violations of the party law.
A Lower Saxony AfD member of the state parliament may have violated party law. In the morning, investigators searched the business premises of the Lower Saxony regional association and a district association of the AfD in Hanover, as the public prosecutor announced. The police carried full boxes out of the AfD business premises.
According to the party’s state chairman, Frank Rinck, the investigation is directed against his deputy, Ansgar Schledde. There was initially no comment from Schledde. Before the raid, the Lower Saxony state parliament had lifted the immunity of two unnamed MPs, clearing the way for possible criminal investigations.
The investigation is based on initial suspicion, said a spokeswoman for the public prosecutor’s office. An AfD MP is suspected of not having passed on donations immediately. On the other hand, he may not have included expenses that he made for the party in the party’s annual report. According to information from NDR, “Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung” and “Neue Presse”, around 48,000 euros are in the MP’s private account. The public prosecutor’s office did not deny the number when asked.
This could be a violation of Section 31d of the Political Parties Act, which is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine. The public prosecutor’s spokeswoman emphasized that the presumption of innocence applies.
FDP politicians are calling for new elections
AfD state leader Rinck rejected the allegations. “Corresponding investigations by two public prosecutors have already been discontinued in the past,” said Rinck. His party has assured the public prosecutor’s office full cooperation and transparency. “The house search that has now been carried out is therefore completely disproportionate for this reason.”
With a view to a state party conference planned for the weekend and the upcoming European elections, the AfD state leader spoke of a smear campaign against the AfD. The judiciary is being abused against the opposition.
In view of the searches at the AfD, two FDP politicians again called for new elections to the state parliament. Former state parliament member Marco Genthe and his party colleague Alexander Grafe accused the AfD of making mistakes in drawing up its electoral list at the end of 2022. This means that the entire state election is illegal.
The state parliament rejected a corresponding election objection from the two politicians in September. They are defending themselves against this before the state court in Bückeburg. “The State Court is called upon to act quickly now,” the FDP politicians wrote in a statement. They argued that due to what they saw as the irregular AfD list, state parliament decisions suffered from a lack of legitimacy. As things stand, a hearing at the State Court is not expected before the fall, said a court spokeswoman. There are no specific dates yet.