Hof/Bamberg (dpa/lby) - A penalty order of 24,000 euros has been issued against Bamberg's mayor Andreas Starke (SPD). He is said to have embezzled city funds. This was announced by the public prosecutor's office in Hof on Thursday. In addition to Starke, three other employees of the Bamberg city administration received at least 9,000 euros. The penal orders only become final if no objection is raised. Otherwise, there will be an oral hearing before the court.
Starke is said to have paid city employees significant sums for overtime. The procedure was criticized in an audit report by the Bavarian Municipal Audit Association. The city is said to have illegally paid overtime, time premiums and bonuses from 2011 to 2017. The city of Bamberg suffered damage totaling 275,000 euros. The public prosecutor's office in Hof, together with the Coburg criminal police, began the investigation in 2020 and in the meantime also searched the premises of the city administration.
