A big corruption scandal is maturing in the German Bundestag. MPs are widely accused of taking bribes from Azerbaijan to protect Baku’s interests.
According to Deutsche Welle, the German prosecutor’s office first attracted the attention of two members of the ruling Christian Democratic Union, Axel Fischer and Mark Hauptmann.
In early March, Fischer’s office in the Bundestag, as well as his home, were searched as part of an anti-corruption investigation into allegations that a politician may have received money from Azerbaijan while working for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
As for Mark Hauptmann, he is accused of earning 16,000 euros through his newspaper Südthüringen Kurier by publishing advertisements for tours to Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani fruit juices. The advertisement, which the politician published in the newspaper, was accompanied by thematic editorial materials. Hauptmann himself denies that the publication of these statements had any effect on his political views. On March 11, the latter resigned from the parliamentary mandate.
Thomas Barais, a member of Hauptmann and Fischer’s party, is also suspected of having corrupt ties with Azerbaijan. On March 12, he was accused of trying to persuade Löwenstein Medical, a manufacturer of medical equipment, to make priority supply of artificial ventilation devices to Azerbaijan at the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic.
The journalists found out that in 2019 Barais visited Baku as part of an economic delegation and was invited to a reception with Ilham Ali. The German MP claims that he did not put pressure on Löwenstein Medical Company, and his support to Azerbaijan is explained solely by the intention to provide “humanitarian aid”.
According to the newspaper, the above-mentioned deputies are not the only ones accused in the party in the “Azerbaijani fraud” case. According to a report entitled “Caviar Diplomacy” published by independent experts in 2017, Azerbaijan has long been trying to influence PACE deputies.
The document states that Baku bribed the rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Committee, who followed the fulfillment of Azerbaijan’s responsibilities when joining the Council of Europe. Many gifts were given as bribes, including caviar, carpets, expensive drinks, and jewelry.
The report names such figures as Karin Strentsen, a member of the Bundestag delegation to the PACE, who received 22,000 euros from Baku in 2014-15 through an intermediary company.
The other MP in the case of possible bribery from Azerbaijan is Eduard Lintner, a member of the CDU / CSU bloc, who is also accused of taking bribes from Azerbaijan for several years in exchange for defending Baku’s interests in Europe.