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The Military Shield Service (MAD) is investigating several employees of the Federal Armed Forces Procurement Office because they may belong to the so-called Reich citizens or self-administrators.

The Ministry of Defense announced that all suspects are working in the Ulm regional office of the quality management department of the office, including the head.

First, the "Bild" reported on the investigation.

According to the information, the investigations are based on internal evidence.

It is about the "suspicion of efforts in the phenomenon of 'Reich citizens and self-administrators'", explained the ministry.

According to the information, the investigation has been running since the end of 2019. A total of eight suspects were questioned by the MAD on Tuesday.

Further interviews would take place on Wednesday, according to a letter to the representatives of the Bundestag defense committee, which is available to the German press agency.

In addition, technical devices have been secured that are now being evaluated.

The superiors of those affected have started disciplinary investigations.

The main suspects were banned from accessing their jobs with immediate effect.

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Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer assured that every reference to the proximity of members of the Bundeswehr to the citizens of the Reich would be followed up.

"We don't leave the smallest room in the Bundeswehr to enemies of the constitution," said the CDU leader.

Reich citizens and self-administrators are groups or even individuals who do not recognize the German state, its legal system, governments, parliaments and the police.

In the past few months there had been repeated right-wing extremist incidents in the Bundeswehr.

Long ago, Kramp-Karrenbauer had promised to crack down on it.

“Extremism and a lack of loyalty to shared values ​​are and will remain incompatible with our mission, but also with the principles of camaraderie and collegiality,” she said.

She called it "encouraging that the key evidence is again coming from internal sources".