German prosecutors have launched an investigation into the top candidate from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Berlin’s upcoming regional elections, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday, less than two weeks before Berliners are due to elect a new state government.
Three premises related to Steffen Krach in Berlin and the northern city of Hanover have been searched, the spokeswoman told dpa.
Prosecutors declined to comment on the exact nature of the accusations.
The local Tagesspiegel daily reported that Krach’s flat in Berlin, as well as the SPD regional headquarters were raided.
Authorities in Hanover, where Krach currently still serves as the top regional administrative official, confirmed that his offices in the city have also been searched.
A spokesman for Krach rejected the accusations against him as “baseless,” and said he was fully cooperating with the authorities to dispel the allegations.
The investigation could not come at a worse time for Krach and his SPD, which is polling at a mere 11% ahead of the vote on September 20.
The party, which is part of the incumbent governing coalition both in Berlin and at national level, has been seeing its worst approval ratings in decades.
The elections in Berlin will be closely watched, particularly in light of last week’s vote in Saxony-Anhalt which was overwhelmingly won by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), with the populist, anti-immigrant party also expected to make huge gains in Berlin.