One parking inspector and his spouse have been detained on allegations of misappropriating over €1m from the parking meters of a small town in Germany.
The unnamed municipal employee is thought to have removed cash from parking meters in Kempten on multiple instances and deposited them in bank accounts that his wife had control over, local police said in a statement.
A financial crime report by a credit institution notified investigators to the suspected embezzlement. The parking inspector has been charged with numerous charges of embezzlement, while his spouse faces multiple counts of aiding and abetting the crime.
Kempten Mayor the mayor expressed he was stunned and disappointed by the allegations.
In October, the local legal authorities were informed that cash was repeatedly being deposited into multiple accounts, according to reports.
Officers then searched office premises in the early hours of 24 November, the same day that a man in his forties and a woman in her late thirties were taken into custody.
They are now being detained in separate jails.
It is uncertain how much time it might have taken the couple to accrue the sum.
In reaction to the allegations, Kiechle declared the appointment of a commission to review past work processes, identify potential flaws, and effectively correct them for the coming years.
He noted that the identities of the individuals could not at this time be disclosed due to the active probe and privacy concerns.
In a official comment, Kiechle stated: "I certainly support the public prosecutor's office and the police in their detailed inquiry of the allegations."
"Until the case are concluded, the presumption of innocence stands," he continued.
The town is one of the oldest towns in Germany. Situated in the country's south, it sits under the slopes of the Allgäu and has around 70,000 residents.
