Germany’s judicial department announced on Wednesday (April 24) that prosecutors have opened two preliminary investigations against far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party lawmaker Maximilian Krah, amid allegations of receiving bribes from foreign powers such as China and Russia.
The spokesperson for the Dresden prosecutor’s office, Patrick Pintaske, stated in a release, “On April 18, 2024, the Dresden prosecutor’s office initiated a preliminary investigation into Dr. Maximilian Krah, a member of the European Parliament, who is accused of working for Russia and receiving rewards during his tenure as a Member of the European Parliament.”
Additionally, the Dresden prosecutors are conducting a second investigation into Dr. Maximilian Krah, alleging that he worked for China and received compensation while serving as a Member of the European Parliament.
Prosecutors mentioned that these investigations were initiated “based on current public reports.”
The pressure on Krah to resign has intensified due to these investigations. He is the lead candidate for the AfD in the upcoming European Parliament elections in June. Earlier this week, German police arrested one of Krah’s assistants in the European Parliament, accusing the individual of engaging in espionage on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. However, Krah maintains that he had no knowledge of his assistant’s espionage activities and has no intentions of stepping down as the lead candidate or withdrawing from the upcoming elections.
“If you think this is the end of my candidacy, then I have to disappoint you,” Krah stated. “I am and will remain the lead candidate now and in the future.”
An official from the German election office informed Politico that Krah cannot be removed from the list at this stage as the AfD’s candidate list has already been approved.
Despite Krah’s claims of being unaware of his assistant’s activities, his pro-Beijing stance has raised concerns in Brussels, Berlin, and Washington for a while. In 2019, he voted against a European Parliament resolution that demanded China to stop the repression of the Uighur people and dismissed criticisms of China’s human rights record as “anti-Chinese propaganda.” Krah also maintains that Taiwan belongs to Beijing and that Tibet is its rightful territory according to international law.