Offenburg (dpa / lsw) - In the criminal proceedings for alleged bribery in the arcade scene in Kehl, two of the original five accused are no longer in court. A 30-year-old suspect and his 29-year-old partner should now pay a fine totaling 3,000 euros, as the district court in Offenburg (Ortenaukreis) announced on Wednesday. A former manager of the city of Kehl has to answer for bribery and two men for suspected bribery. (Az: 2 KLs 200 Js 12725/21).
The ex-head of the Kehl regulatory office is accused of illegal collusion with arcade operators. The 41-year-old is said to have accepted travel invitations and money in the four-digit range, and a payment of 50,000 euros was also planned. Also accused are two men from the hotel and casino industry in the border town, aged 51 and 74.
The presiding judge Matthias Eckelt said that the proceedings for the 30-year-old and the 29-year-old would only be over once the fine had been paid. According to the indictment, both work in a casino. They had been on vacation with the city employee at the time and had been in private contact for a long time. Judge Eckelt said at the start of the trial in mid-January that corruption offenses are difficult to prove. The trial is scheduled to end on Wednesday next week (February 8).
