According to information from the FAZ, the public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt has filed charges against Frankfurt's Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann (SPD) in connection with the AWO affair.

The authority has been investigating for about a year on suspicion of taking advantage of the mayor.

The question is whether he used his influence in 2015 to get his partner at the time and later wife Zübeyde Feldmann a job as manager of an AWO day-care center, including a company car and with a salary that was well above the tariff.

In mid-February, it was said on request that the investigation was ongoing.

On Monday evening, Hessischer Rundfunk first reported that charges had been filed.

The public prosecutor's office states that this cannot be confirmed "at the present time".

Anna Sophia Lang

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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Mechthild Harting

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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Feldmann himself said through his spokesman that he was not yet aware of any indictment.

"The press obviously knows more than I do," said the mayor.

"If it's true, I hereby declare the following: Finally - a procedure gives me the opportunity to clear up the excessive suspicions." What he has heard from the public prosecutor's office so far is "on feet of clay", Feldmann continues.

The investigations had “revealed nothing but one-sided conjectures”.

He is all the more pleased that "soon a neutral body will finally decide on the completely unfounded allegations".

He will not hide and looks at everything "extremely relaxed", said the mayor.

CDU in Römer calls for resignation

For the CDU parliamentary group leader in the Römer town hall, there is no question that Peter Feldmann can no longer remain mayor of Hesse's largest city after the indictment by the Frankfurt public prosecutor's office.

"Resign your office to avert further damage to Frankfurt and the reputation of the city government," demands Nils Kößler.

The accusation of corruption represents a new, blatant low point in connection with the AWO scandal. 

Feldmann's behavior in the past three years has already led to a "dramatic loss of trust and reputation" in the Frankfurt population, but also nationally.

Above all, Feldmann, who had previously rejected all allegations, could no longer pretend that nothing was wrong, Kößler said.

Sitting it out and consistently smiling away is out of the question.

Referring to other politicians who had already resigned when the public prosecutor's office initiated investigations, such as the former CDU Federal President Christian Wulff, the Frankfurt CDU is calling on the new city government to join the call for Feldmann's resignation.

The coalition must now clearly state "how it stands on this mayor," demands Kößler.

FDP: Feldmann should refrain from public appearances

But the coalition of the Greens, SPD, FDP and Volt is still cautious the day after the indictment.

The fastest to react were the Liberals, whose parliamentary group in the Romans had played a key role in the clarification of the AWO affair in recent years.

The Frankfurt FDP called on Feldmann to “refrain from any public appearances as mayor with immediate effect”.

Party leader Thorsten Lieb said it was completely impossible for the mayor to exercise his office according to the motto "business as usual".

It is simply inconceivable that Feldmann would receive delegations as mayor or appear at events as the official representative of the city in the Paulskirche.

However, the FDP also points out that it is important to them, as a party based on the rule of law, to emphasize that the presumption of innocence continues to apply even if indictment is brought, as well as in the presumably subsequent trial.

However, Lieb also points out that "of course it is completely clear" that Feldmann must resign immediately if there is a conviction or the proceedings against conditions and instructions are discontinued.