Turmoil in the German Political Landscape – Minister of Agriculture Resigns

Former SPD member of the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag), Sebastian Edathy, is being investigated by the Canadian police on allegations of possession of child pornography. He is suspected of ordering photographs of naked teenagers. The public prosecutor of Hannover is leading investigations against Sebastian Edathy for the possession of child pornography. As the investigators of the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) raided the office and residential premises of the SPD politician Sebastian Edathy last week, they immediately got the impression that the suspect had been expecting their visit. They found no incriminating evidence but saw traces of a destroyed hard drive and remote computer.

The SPD leadership admits to have known about possible investigations against Edathy since the month of October. The fact that the then Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich passed on the information, is in the view of the public prosecutor of Hanover a possible obstruction of justice. SPD parliamentary leader Thomas Oppermann confirmed that Friedrich informed SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel in October.

The SPD is under pressure because of suspicion that the party leadership might have leaked information to Edathy about the ongoing investigation against him. Former Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU) had to resign because of the dissemination of information to the SPD leadership. The Union (CDU & CSU) and the opposition are accusing the SPD parliamentary leader Oppermann of disclosing information provided by Friedrich to the public. CSU party chairman Seehofer accused Oppermann and the SPD leadership of “chattiness” and “breach of confidence”.

SPD party chairman, Sigmar Gabriel declared today: “We are shocked and stunned by these actions and behaviour of Sebastian Edathy.” According the German daily Spiegel Online, the SPD party leadership has suspended Edathy’s membership rights and is considering his exclusion from the party. While the CSU still has scores to settle with the SPD, the million dollar question remains unanswered: did Edathy get a hint from his SPD colleagues and could he have done away with possible incriminating evidence?