Jian G. has been in custody for a week. The ex-employee of AfD top candidate Krah is accused of spying for China. He initially took cover, but now he is blaming the security authorities.
AfD leading candidate Maximilian Krah, who is under pressure because of the arrest of an employee in connection with possible Chinese espionage, has criticized the security authorities for their actions and at the same time offered his cooperation.
“The security authorities obviously had knowledge, didn’t inform me and dropped the bomb shortly before the election date. That’s quite remarkable,” Krah told the “Stern” and RTL with a view to the European elections coming up in June. The timing and manner of action were “not a coincidence”. He accused the authorities of having “unconscionably not warned or informed him at any time”.
Jian G., from whom Krah said he separated in the wake of the events, was arrested in Dresden a week ago and is in custody. He is accused of acting as an agent for a foreign secret service in a particularly serious case. In January of this year, G. is said to have repeatedly passed on information about negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament. He is also said to have spied on Chinese opposition members in Germany.
Shortly after the arrest, there were speculations within the AfD about a possible connection with the election campaign. The AfD MP Stefan Keuter accused the government in the Bundestag of damaging the opposition “with secret service support and a compliant media” and also raised the question of why the arrest of Krah’s employees occurred during election campaign times when the Office for the Protection of the Constitution had been keeping an eye on him for a long time have had.
Initially refrained from campaign appearances
“I will proactively seek contact with the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. On the one hand, to clarify what is happening. But also to have a conversation about the extent to which I can help with the clarification,” “Stern” now quoted Krah as saying. G. had no access to secret documents or closed circles and never asked about them. “That means his entire knowledge extends to freely accessible sources and what he himself picked up during our office discussions or public events.”
After the arrest and a crisis meeting with the AfD leadership, Krah initially refrained from appearing in the election campaign. He did not take part in the election campaign kick-off with the party leadership at the weekend in Donaueschingen. However, another performance is planned in Dresden on the public holiday this Wednesday.
Krah himself in focus
The MEP himself is also in the spotlight because of possible connections to Russia and China. After media reports about possible monetary payments, the public prosecutor’s office in Dresden is checking whether an investigation should be started. In Munich, after media reports about Russian money payments, the public prosecutor’s office is also examining whether an investigation should be started against Bundestag member Petr Bystron, who is in second place behind Krah on the AfD’s European election list.
Both preliminary investigations were ongoing, as the public prosecutor’s offices in Munich and Dresden announced on Monday when asked. No further information could be provided.
Source: Stern
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