Authorities in Germany and Spain have conducted searches at locations associated with Petr Bystron, a German legislator suspected of receiving bribes and money laundering. Bystron, identified by German media as a far-right politician, is currently running in the upcoming European Parliament elections.
He has denied accusations that he was paid for giving interviews to a pro-Russian news portal but has not yet commented on the recent searches.
The German prosecutors’ office announced that several premises were searched as part of the investigation into a member of the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, though they did not specify Bystron by name.
According to the magazine Der Spiegel, Bystron was the target of these searches. The Bundestag confirmed that Bystron’s parliamentary immunity had been lifted before the searches were conducted.
“Munich prosecutors are investigating a Bundestag member on suspicion of receiving bribes and money laundering,” stated the prosecutors’ office. ”
As part of this investigation, premises in Berlin, Bavaria, and Majorca were searched and evidence was seized.”
Bystron, originally from the Czech Republic, resides in Munich. The German prosecutor’s office has not provided further comments.
Czech media have reported that Czech security services possess a recording where Bystron is allegedly heard counting banknotes and complaining about their large denominations, making them difficult to spend even at a petrol station.
Bystron claims these allegations are part of an organised political campaign against him.
These accusations have been a significant setback for Bystron’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is already under scrutiny for purportedly harbouring spies and agents for Russia and China.
AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla have called for a swift investigation, asserting that no proof has been presented for the allegations made against Bystron weeks ago. They expressed concerns that the investigation could be seen as an attempt to influence the European election campaign.
The AfD, which had been competing with the opposition conservatives to lead opinion polls at the start of 2024, has seen a drop in support following the foreign influence allegations and widespread protests against the party.
In a related development, prosecutors have charged an assistant to Maximilian Krah, the party’s lead candidate for the European Parliament elections in June, with spying for China.
With Inputs From Reuters
