The man is accused of theft in 720 separate instances, and his wife is accused of aiding and abetting. The city’s mayor expressed his shock.
The Kempten Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating a municipal employee and his wife on suspicion of money laundering. According to the investigation, the 40-year-old public works employee, who was responsible for collecting cash from municipal parking meters, repeatedly embezzled coins from the machines and deposited them into bank accounts accessible to his 38-year-old wife. The prosecutor’s office estimates the damage to the city’s budget significantly exceeds one million euros.
Charges: Theft and Aiding in 720 Instances
The alleged embezzlement was uncovered after a credit institution filed a suspicious activity report (SAR) concerning money laundering in October. The Kempten criminal police took over the investigation. On Monday, the couple was brought before an investigative judge and remanded in custody. Both have been charged with theft and aiding theft in 720 cases. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Kempten’s Mayor is “Shocked”
In a written statement, Kempten’s Mayor Thomas Kiechle (CSU) said he was “shocked and deeply dismayed by the allegations.” Kiechle stated he would “immediately implement specific personnel and organizational measures to review past work processes, identify potential weaknesses, and reliably eliminate them in the future.” To this end, he ordered the formation of a special commission with immediate effect.
Banks are Obligated to Report Suspicious Money Laundering Activity
Credit institutions are legally required to notify the German Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) if suspicions of money laundering or terrorist financing arise. A common reason for such a report, also known as an SAR, are transactions that do not match a client’s usual financial behavior—that is, unusual or high-risk operations. Banks typically conduct random checks.
What is the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)?
The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is an administrative authority in Germany that acts as the national center for receiving and analyzing reports of suspicious financial transactions related to money laundering or terrorist financing.
Since 2017, the FIU has been part of the General Customs Directorate, and since May 2021, it has operated as an independently acting agency—Directorate X within its structure.
Its main task is to combat money laundering by monitoring national and international payment flows. For this purpose, the FIU receives routine reports from banks on amounts, senders, and recipients when certain thresholds are met. The FIU’s task is to determine whether the funds were obtained legally or originate from illegal activities, such as weapons or drug trafficking. Due to its access to financial transactions, the FIU can also help uncover corruption or tax evasion.
If a link is established between a transaction and a criminal offense, the case is forwarded to the competent law enforcement, tax, and administrative authorities.
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