Former Berlin Education Official Admits to Selling School Tablets, Causing €59,000 Loss

The 28-year-old confessed to ordering and reselling devices intended for schools, citing personal struggles as the motive.

A former employee of Berlin's education department admitted in court to misusing his position to order and sell school devices for personal profit.
The accused diverted 34 tablets, 4 monitors, and 4 external hard drives, valued at €59,000, from a federal funding program between May and October 2021.
He arranged for the equipment to be delivered to schools in Wilmersdorf and Marzahn, then retrieved them under false pretenses for resale.
The defendant claimed he acted during a period of psychological distress but denied financial necessity as a motive, stating he set aside most of the €45,000 he earned.
Criticism has been directed at the education department for a lack of oversight, as the defendant was able to approve funding requests without additional checks.