By Sascha Baumann and Philipp Schmidt
Mercedes boss Ola Källenius (53) has been in office since 2019, and he has already mastered some crises since then. But what is pending now is particularly annoying: Two Mercedes employees are suspected of corruption!
Mercedes-Benz confirmed to BILD that the company is involved in the case as a victim. First public prosecutor Aniello Ambrosio from the Stuttgart public prosecutor’s office specified: “We are investigating two people on suspicion of corruption and bribery in commercial transactions.”
According to BILD information from investigators, it should be about millions! In the corporate environment one speaks of one of the largest uncovered cases of bribery in the group.
Investigators searched the purchasing department
According to reports, the accused managed to use clever tricks to ensure that certain suppliers were awarded the contract. The accused are said to have received a reward for this.
Mercedes spokesman Johannes Leifert, responsible for legal issues in the Stuttgart group: “We are the injured party in this case and have filed a complaint.” The Stuttgart public prosecutor’s office then commissioned the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) in Stuttgart with the investigation.
At the end of last week, the LKA finally drove up to Mercedes. According to BILD information, the officials searched parts of the purchasing and development departments in the Sindelfingen plant. The investigators are said to have confiscated a mobile phone and computer, among other things.
Why isn’t the normal criminal police investigating in this case? The State Criminal Police Office is usually commissioned when very special specialist knowledge is required.
Highly specialized experts are entrusted with the case
It is possible that the suspects covered up their machinations so well for years that they were initially hardly recognizable and the investigations are now becoming very complex. LKA investigators from Department 3 for white-collar crime and corruption are familiarizing themselves with the case.
At the public prosecutor’s office in Stuttgart, highly specialized experts are also entrusted with the case.
Mercedes said: “We support the authorities in their investigations.” More can not be said about the ongoing process at the moment.
However, BILD learned that not only Mercedes was searched: investigators turned up at the home address of at least one suspect.
The Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen has around 35,000 employees. Among other things, the E- and S-Class are built there. The group’s research center is also located there.