Hesse: indictment admitted: mayor has to go to court

Frankfurt's Lord Mayor Feldmann has to go to the dock on suspicion of accepting an advantage.

Hesse: indictment admitted: mayor has to go to court

Frankfurt's Lord Mayor Feldmann has to go to the dock on suspicion of accepting an advantage. It is unclear how things will continue in Germany's fifth largest city. The mayor is already under criticism.

Frankfurt / Main (dpa / lhe) - The Frankfurt Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann (SPD) has to answer to the court in connection with the Awo affair. A corresponding charge by the Frankfurt public prosecutor's office on suspicion of accepting an advantage was admitted, as the Frankfurt Regional Court announced on Monday. Dates for the trial have not yet been set.

In March, the investigating authority had brought charges based on sufficient suspicion of accepting an advantage. Feldmann's wife, as the head of an Awo-Kita, "without any objective reason" received a salary that exceeded the collective agreement, it was said. According to the public prosecutor's office, Awo also supported Feldmann in the 2018 election campaign by raising donations. In return, he wanted to "benevolently consider" the interests of Awo Frankfurt.

The pressure on Feldmann had recently increased due to a few slips. Among other things, because of a video that shows Feldmann speaking of flight attendants on the flight to the Europa League final from Eintracht Frankfurt to Seville, "who put me out of action hormonally at first". Feldmann apologized but declined to resign.

At the beginning of April, he declared that he wanted to suspend his party membership in the event of a court case: he wanted to protect the SPD "from discussions that would arise as a result of a lawsuit." That doesn't go far enough for his own party: if the main proceedings are allowed, he would have to resign, the SPD had demanded.

The 63-year-old, who used to work for Awo himself, was first elected mayor in 2012 and confirmed in office for another six years in 2018. Feldmann has already announced that he will not run again after the end of his second term in 2024.

Reports about the excessive salary and the company car for Feldmann's wife triggered the Awo scandal in 2019. Since then there have been investigations into allegations of fraud and breach of trust against former leaders in connection with further allegations. The Awo later reorganized itself with a different board and executive committee. Feldmann Frau has already repaid excessive payments. The public prosecutor's office had also started investigations against them.

Feldmann and his wife, who married in 2016, announced their separation last year.