German authorities conducted a search on Thursday at locations connected to Petr Bystron of Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Bystron, a leading candidate in the upcoming EU elections and a current Bundestag member, is under investigation over allegations regarding financial bribes from Russian officials. The accusations hinge on purported illicit funds from Russia via the sanctioned news platform Voice of Europe.
After the revocation of his parliamentary immunity by the Bundestag, numerous prosecutors and police officers carried out searches across Bystron’s public offices, as well as in three Bavarian counties and a property in the Balearic Island of Mallorca. Evidence in the form of documents and data carriers was seized for evaluation.
Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, the two AfD leaders, have labeled these events a “serious matter.” However, they also highlighted the lack of presented evidence against Bystron despite the longstanding accusations.
The Munich Public Prosecutor General’s Office, though not directly stating Bystron’s name, declared its ongoing investigation on initial suspicions of corruption of elected officials and money laundering.
Bystron has staunchly denied the allegations but has not commented on the recent police searches. The leadership of AfD has similarly called for the Czech intelligence to publicize their supposed evidence against Bystron. They have stated the importance of considering Bystron’s innocence until concrete evidence against him is presented.
This investigation is the latest in a series of scandals impacting the AfD, negatively affecting their recent performance in opinion polls. Irrespective of the outcome, the complex situation is indicative of the heightened scrutiny the AfD and its members are under.
Seen as a significant threat to the globalist German political establishment, AfD has been surging in the polls due to widespread frustration in Germany with mass migration.