Allegations of Bribery in High Places - Official under scrutiny - Government worker under suspicion
The Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office and the State Office for Immigration (Landesamt für Einwanderung, LEA) are currently under investigation for bribery allegations. This latest investigation focuses on a single employee of the LEA and suspicious appointments made in August 2024.
The Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office initiated the inquiry following a criminal complaint filed by the LEA in early September 2024. The investigation includes multiple searches, which were conducted on June 19, 2025, targeting the suspect's home, office, and two other residences believed to be tied to bribery allegations.
This current case is separate from an earlier bribery scandal at the LEA involving a 38-year-old employee. This individual is accused of unlawfully granting citizenship to a North Macedonian family by forging documents, deleting immigration records, and using a false name to sign naturalization certificates. The family in question has two minor children.
The investigations reflect increasing concerns about corruption and integrity breaches within Berlin’s immigration authorities. As of late July 2025, no publicly available information indicates convictions or final outcomes in either of these cases, as investigations are ongoing.
The German Press Agency and the "Bild" newspaper have reported on these investigations. The family in question has not been identified in the media, but it is known that a foreign seal was used in the naturalization process, and the suspect allegedly handed over the falsified certificates to the family.
In summary, the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office and the State Office for Immigration are under investigation for bribery allegations. The investigation involves a 38-year-old employee, suspicious appointments made in August 2024, and searches conducted on June 19, 2025. The earlier bribery scandal involved the same employee forging documents and deleting immigration records to unlawfully grant citizenship to a North Macedonian family. The investigations are ongoing, and no convictions have been reported as of July 30, 2025.
- The ongoing investigation within the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office and the State Office for Immigration (LEA) has spilled into the realm of general-news and politics, as it involves vocational training, in the form of suspicious appointments made in August 2024, and allegations of bribery.
- The community policy implications of the bribery scandal at the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office and the LEA are significant, with vocational training not exempt, as one employee was accused of granting citizenship unlawfully in an earlier incident, involving forgery and deletion of immigration records, which falls under crime-and-justice.
