Overview
- Interior Minister Christian Pegel said Wolfgang Schmülling asked Minister President Manuela Schwesig to relieve him of his duties to avert further damage to the government.
- The Schwerin public prosecutor has been investigating Schmülling since mid-September on suspicion of aiding embezzlement tied to delayed COVID-19 mask billing, with a disciplinary proceeding already underway.
- Manuela Schwesig assigned State Secretary Ina-Maria Ulbrich to take over Schmülling’s portfolio on an interim basis, with a decision on a permanent successor expected next week.
- Citizen’s Commissioner Christian Frenzel reported legal violations in the fast-tracked promotion of police official Andreas Walus, citing improper performance assessments, no job posting, and missing early involvement of the equal opportunities officer.
- Schmülling rejects the accusations, and external legal opinions for him and the ministry contend no budget damage has occurred, while Walus has renounced the promotion and faces a separate breach-of-trust probe.