Updated on 08/09/2022 at 17:33
- The RBB released its head of the Intendency department.
- The broadcaster did not provide further information about Verena Formen-Mohr.
- RBB director Patricia Schlesinger resigned on Sunday – she is suspected of accepting an advantage.
In the case surrounding the allegations of nepotism, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) released the head of the main department, Verena Formen-Mohr, with immediate effect. This was confirmed by a spokesperson for the public broadcaster on Tuesday from the German Press Agency. “Spiegel” had previously reported. The broadcaster did not provide further information about the reasons for the exemption.
RBB director Patricia Schlesinger resigned on Sunday, and last Thursday the 61-year-old had already retired from the presidency of the ARD. There are numerous allegations in the RBB case in the room.
The online medium “Business Insider” began the case in late June. It’s about the question of whether Schlesinger and the station’s chief controller Wolf-Dieter Wolf could have treated each other too lax in the event of a potential conflict of interest. Both rejected the charges. An external investigation is underway at a law firm. Results are not yet available.
Suspected infidelity: preliminary case against Schlesinger
Meanwhile, the prosecution in Berlin is conducting a preliminary case against Schlesinger, her husband and Wolf on suspicion of infidelity and taking advantage.
The previously unresolved allegations range from questionable consultancy contracts to an RBB construction project that has now been put on hold, a big salary increase for Schlesinger to a good €300,000 and an additional bonus system. It is also about food with “multipliers” at the expense of RBB in his private apartment and a luxurious company car with massage seats, which is said to have been a very high discount. Schlesinger’s husband took orders from state-owned Messe Berlin, where Wolf is also the chief inspector. It was also announced that the executive floor should have been equipped to a high standard for €650,000.
In the summer of 2020, RBB announced that the board of directors had extended the Formen-Mohr contract. According to the information provided at the time, he was responsible for the main management and therefore responsible, among other things, for ARD’s community facilities at RBB, for the press and marketing departments and for corporate planning. She is also responsible for the projects for the new construction of RBB’s cross-media news center and digital media house – this is the work that is at a standstill. She is also listed as a managing director on the service subsidiary RBB Media’s seal. (dpa/mbo) © dpa