The Bundestag has lifted the immunity of AfD MP and Bavarian AfD state chairman Stephan Protschka. The approval “for the execution of judicial search and seizure orders” was unanimously granted on Thursday, as announced by Parliament. The MPs followed a resolution recommended by the Committee for Election Review, Immunity and Rules of Procedure.
Members of the Bundestag may only be prosecuted for a suspected criminal offense with the consent of Parliament. According to the Basic Law, they enjoy immunity. At the request of the public prosecutor’s office, this can be lifted by Parliament. A Bundestag spokesman referred to the Landshut public prosecutor’s office when asked on Thursday.
A spokesman for the authority there said on request that the living and office space of a member of the Bundestag had been searched on Thursday.
There is an investigation, but it is not related to the MP’s exercise of his mandate. It is about the initial suspicion of falsifying evidentiary data in connection with his work as an investment advisor. There is a suspicion that the man transmitted incorrect data to the insurance company in 2017 when arranging the conclusion of an insurance contract. The spokesman did not provide any further information.
Protschka, who is the agricultural policy spokesman for his parliamentary group, initially did not comment on the matter, but was surprised when asked by the dpa.
