Meter Inspector and Spouse Apprehended in €1 Million Parking Embezzlement Investigation
A meter attendant and his wife have been arrested on suspicion of embezzling over €1m from the coin-operated meters of a small German town.
The unnamed city worker is thought to have removed cash from street meters in the town on multiple instances and placed them in bank accounts that his spouse had control over, authorities said in a statement.
A financial crime report by a credit institution alerted investigators to the alleged embezzlement. The attendant has been charged with numerous charges of embezzlement, while his wife faces multiple counts of aiding and abetting theft.
Kempten Mayor the mayor expressed he was shocked and disappointed by the allegations.
In October, the Kempten legal authorities were informed that money was frequently being placed into multiple bank accounts, according to sources.
Officers then searched work locations in the morning of 24 November, the same day that a 40-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were arrested.
They are now being detained in different detention facilities.
It is uncertain how long it might have required the couple to accumulate the amount.
In response to the allegations, the mayor announced the appointment of a commission to review past procedures, uncover potential flaws, and reliably correct them for the coming years.
He noted that the names of the individuals could not currently be released due to the ongoing investigation and confidentiality issues.
In a written statement, the mayor stated: "I certainly back the legal authorities and the police in their detailed inquiry of the claims."
"Until the case are concluded, the presumption of innocence applies," he added.
The town is among the most historic settlements in Germany. Located in the southern region, it sits under the slopes of the Allgäu region and has approximately seventy thousand inhabitants.
