German MP Karin Strenz accused of taking bribes from Azerbaijani authorities

Bundestag MP Karin Strentz has been stripped of her MP status, and a search carried out of her home and offices

German MP Karin Strentz and former MP Eduard Lintner are suspected of protecting the interests of the Azerbaijani authorities in exchange for bribes and investigation has been launched into the matter.  Stentz has also had her parliamentary immunity revoked.

It is suspected that Strentz received about 22 thousand euros for lobbying the interests of the ruling regime in Azerbaijan in PACE, OCCRP reports.

Lintner, according to the prosecutor’s office, in 2008-2016 received about 4 million euros, some of which was due to him, and part of which was intended to bribe other PACE members so that they would provide political support to the Azerbaijani authorities.

Suspicions about Strentz appeared a few years ago.  In March 2019, she was fined 20 thousand euros. At the same time, the anti-corruption organization Transparency Germany filed complaints against Strentz and Lintner, but the prosecutor’s office did not begin an investigation at that time.