The number of investigations into bribery has increased in Berlin. It rose from 27 in 2022 to 34 cases the following year, according to the response of the Berlin Interior Ministry to a written request from Left Party MP Sebastian Schlüsselburg to the Senate regarding corruption offenses. The “Berliner Morgenpost” had previously reported on this.
There was a slight increase in the number of investigations into bribery, from 10 to 12. The number of suspects identified in connection with corruption offenses increased from 53 to 76, and the number of public officials among them increased from 14 to 16.
There was an increase from 2 to 19 cases of bribery and corruption in commercial transactions, with a focus on the service sector in both years.
Schlüsselburg calls for better equipment for investigating authorities
“Corruption is not a trivial offense,” Sebastian Schlüsselburg, legal expert for the Left Party in the House of Representatives, told the newspaper. “It undermines trust in state institutions and private companies and leads to enormous economic damage.” The politician therefore views the figures with concern.
He is also critical of another development: in 2022, 42 percent of bribery cases were based on internal police findings, compared to just 21 percent the following year. In contrast, in 26 percent of cases the crime was discovered because the agency concerned reported it. The year before, the figure was 19 percent.
“The decline in cases based on police findings unfortunately makes it clear that the state is not in a position to solve the enormous dark field in the fight against this economic crime,” said Schlüsselburg. “The Senate must better equip the police, public prosecutors and courts in order to be able to better combat corruption and economic crime.”
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