Justice: Leaflet affair: Investigation against former teacher discontinued

The Regensburg public prosecutor’s office has closed the investigation against a former teacher in the course of the leaflet scandal involving Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters). The prosecution announced that there was no evidence of the crime. There were neither witnesses nor other evidence that the accused had passed on information to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.

The leaflet affair was set in motion last summer by a newspaper report. It concerned an anti-Semitic and degrading leaflet that was found in the possession of the Free Voters leader Aiwanger when he was at school. Aiwanger came under massive pressure in the affair. His brother confessed shortly afterwards to having written the pamphlet.

Several media outlets reported at the time that a former teacher had distributed the leaflet. The public prosecutor’s office received several criminal complaints for violation of official and private secrets.

The accused made use of his right to remain silent

Reports in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” indicated that there had been contact between the accused and employees, the public prosecutor’s office said. “However, it is not possible to prove what communication took place in detail and whether privileged information was passed on.” The newspaper did not provide any information for reasons of editorial confidentiality and source protection. The accused refused to testify.

The public prosecutor’s office said it was possible that the newspaper had learned about the leaflet from a student’s work that had reproduced it in 1988/1989. According to the prosecutor’s office, the former teacher also stated that he had not personally taught Hubert Aiwanger and his brother.