Index – Abroad – An investigation was launched against a German politician for accepting a Russian bribe

As we wrote, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched an investigation last week against Maximilian Krah, the German AfD MEP, because he may have received money from a pro-Russian site. The politician confirmed to the DPA news agency that the FBI had questioned him when he was in the United States (although, according to his claim, he was interviewed not as a suspect, but as a witness).

According to the latest information from Bild, the public prosecutor’s office in Dresden has opened an investigation against Krah for accepting Russian bribes. In the meantime, it also emerged that the German member of the European Parliament – who was interviewed by Index in April 2021 – could accept money not only from the Kremlin, but also from China. They are currently investigating whether “there is a reasonable suspicion of a crime related to the bribery of a member of parliament.”

Russian propaganda network in the EU

In Belgium, the prosecutor’s office has already launched an official investigation into the Russian influence network, which was uncovered last month. In March, the Czech Republic reported that a Russian propaganda network was operating in the European Union, the aim of which was to prevent support for Ukraine. In order to achieve this goal, European politicians were allegedly paid with Russian money.

The Czech government added the operators of the Voice of Europe website to its national sanctions list against Russia. The website is said to be part of a Russian influence operation aimed at questioning the territorial integrity, sovereignty and freedom of Ukraine.

Some European politicians, including Hungarians, who worked for the news portal, were allegedly paid with Russian money, which in some cases also covered the campaign costs of the European Parliament elections in June. The news site published statements by politicians who called on the European Union to stop aid to Ukraine.

Bild wrote on Wednesday that the politicians of six EU states allegedly received bribes through the Russian influence network – presumably for anti-Russian and anti-Ukraine propaganda. Among them is Petr Bystron, AfD candidate for European Parliament. An investigation was launched against Bystron in Munich, and according to the newspaper, incriminating audio recordings and videos prove that he accepted money from the Kremlin. By the way, László Toroczkai, the president of Mi Hazánk Mozgalom, recently called Petr Bystron his friend.

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