Parking Enforcer and Spouse Arrested in €1 Million Parking Embezzlement Case
One parking inspector and his spouse have been arrested on suspicion of embezzling over €1m out of the coin-operated meters of a small German town.
The unnamed city worker is believed to have removed coins out of street meters in the town on numerous occasions and deposited them in bank accounts that his spouse had control over, authorities stated in a statement.
A financial crime alert by a bank notified authorities to the suspected theft. The parking inspector has been accused with 720 counts of embezzlement, while his wife faces multiple counts of aiding and abetting theft.
Kempten Head Thomas Kiechle said he was stunned and dismayed by the allegations.
In October, the local legal authorities were informed that cash was frequently being deposited into multiple accounts, as reported by sources.
Police then searched work locations in the early hours of 24 November, the same day that a 40-year-old man and a woman in her late thirties were arrested.
They are now being held in separate detention facilities.
It is uncertain how much time it might have required the couple to accumulate the amount.
In response to the allegations, Kiechle announced the formation of a commission to examine previous procedures, identify possible flaws, and reliably remedy them for the coming years.
Kiechle noted that the names of the individuals could not at this time be released due to the active probe and privacy concerns.
In a official comment, Kiechle stated: "I certainly back the legal authorities and the law enforcement in their detailed investigation of the allegations."
"Until the case are concluded, the presumption of innocence stands," he continued.
Kempten is among the most historic towns in Germany. Located in the southern region, it sits under the slopes of the Allgäu and has around seventy thousand inhabitants.
