Berlin police have dissolved their personal protection commissariat after officers were suspected of working privately for rapper Bushido. Internal checks revealed indications of corruption. The authority is now tightening its controls.
Berlin police responded to an alleged corruption scandal by dissolving the personal protection commissariat (LKA 61). This followed internal audits and external tips that provided »reliable indications of a corruption-suspect development«, as the authority announced on Friday.
Several officers are suspected of having worked privately for rapper Bushido. The daily routine of the allegedly involved bodyguards was regularly determined by Bushido's private and professional appointments as well as his life situation, a police spokesman told SPIEGEL. There is suspicion that official resources were misused.
The commissariat's head was relieved of his duties, and all female and male officers will be reassigned to exclude influences. Parallel disciplinary and criminal proceedings are underway against two bodyguards, including the former head. The presumption of innocence applies in principle.
»Corruption, private influence, and disloyal behavior will not be tolerated but consistently pursued. Integrity and adherence to the law are indispensable prerequisites for deployment in security-critical areas«, the announcement stated. The police plan to tighten controls and review regulations to secure trust in their work.
The suspicion became public through an Instagram video published by RTL in September. It shows moderator Frauke Ludowig with Bushido and his wife at a snack bar; two men waiting outside the location were identified as private bodyguards. According to »Bild« newspaper, LKA officers recognized their colleagues in the video, even though Bushido was no longer under police protection at the time.