Meter Enforcer and Spouse Apprehended in €1 Million Meter Theft Case
A parking inspector and his spouse have been arrested on allegations of embezzling over €1m from the parking meters of a small town in Germany.
The unnamed city worker is believed to have taken coins from parking meters in Kempten on numerous occasions and deposited them in bank accounts that his spouse had access to, authorities said in a release.
A money laundering alert by a credit institution notified authorities to the alleged embezzlement. The parking inspector has been charged with numerous charges of embezzlement, while his wife is charged with multiple counts of aiding and abetting the crime.
Kempten Mayor Thomas Kiechle said he was shocked and disappointed by the allegations.
In October, the local public prosecutor's office were notified that cash was frequently being placed into multiple accounts, according to reports.
Officers then raided office premises in the early hours of November 24, the very day that a man in his forties and a woman in her late thirties were arrested.
They are now being detained in different jails.
It is uncertain how much time it might have taken the couple to accrue the sum.
In reaction to the accusations, the mayor announced the appointment of a commission to examine previous procedures, uncover possible weaknesses, and reliably remedy them for the coming years.
Kiechle added that the identities of the individuals could not currently be disclosed due to the active investigation and confidentiality issues.
In a written statement, the mayor said: "I certainly support the public prosecutor's office and the law enforcement in their thorough inquiry of the claims."
"Until the proceedings are resolved, the innocent until proven guilty stands," he added.
Kempten is one of the most historic towns in Germany. Located in the country's south, it lies under the slopes of the Allgäu region and has around seventy thousand residents.
