Parking Enforcer and Spouse Arrested in €1m Meter Theft Case
A parking inspector and his wife have been detained on suspicion of embezzling more than €1m from the coin-operated meters of a small German town.
The unnamed city worker is believed to have removed cash from parking meters in Kempten on multiple occasions and deposited them in bank accounts that his wife had control over, local police said in a statement.
A financial crime report by a credit institution alerted authorities to the alleged theft. The parking inspector has been charged with 720 counts of embezzlement, while his spouse faces multiple counts of aiding and abetting theft.
Kempten Mayor Thomas Kiechle said he was stunned and disappointed by the allegations.
In the fall, the local public prosecutor's office were notified that cash was repeatedly being placed into multiple bank accounts, as reported by sources.
Police then raided work locations in the early hours 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 jails.
It is uncertain how long it might have required the couple to accrue the amount.
In reaction to the allegations, Kiechle declared the appointment of a committee to examine past work processes, identify potential flaws, and reliably correct them for the future.
He noted that the identities of the individuals could not currently be disclosed due to the ongoing investigation and privacy concerns.
In a official comment, Kiechle stated: "I naturally support the legal authorities and the law enforcement in their detailed investigation of the allegations."
"Until the case are resolved, the innocent until proven guilty applies," he continued.
The town is one of the most historic towns in the country. Located in the country's south, it lies under the hills of the Allgäu and has approximately seventy thousand residents.
