Investigations against the mayor of Cottbus for abuse of title!

Investigations against the mayor of Cottbus for abuse of title!

Things are currently simmering in Cottbus, the city on the Spree. The Cottbus public prosecutor's office has started investigations against Mayor Tobias Schick (SPD). The occasion? A suspicion of misuse of title. As niederlausitz-aktuell.de reports, there is a criminal complaint that targets the use of an inadmissible academic term.

The core issue is the possible violation of Section 132a of the Criminal Code, which regulates the misuse of titles. Schick had used the title “Diplom-Verwaltungsbetriebswirt” in the past, both on his campaign homepage and on the city website. However, this name could have been misleading, as his degree was obtained from the Cottbus Administration and Economics Academy (VWA), an educational institution that is not considered a state-recognized university. Schick himself studied from 2016 to 2020 and passed his diploma examination with a grade of “very good (1.3)”, which is the basis for the title of “administrative business economist (VWA)”.

The accusation in detail

The suspicion arose through an anonymous complaint that drew the public prosecutor's attention to Schick's career. According to radiocottbus.de, it is stated that Schick used the title without making it clear that it was an internal administrative deal. Although he himself admitted a wording error, he emphasized that he had no intention to deceive.

The issue of misuse of titles is a serious one, because according to Section 132a StGB it is a criminal offense to use domestic or foreign academic degrees and titles without authorization. This is intended to protect the general public from people who use false names to create a special status or trustworthiness, as Wikipedia makes clear. For Schick, this could mean that the investigation will take some time and a possible indictment is on the cards.

Tobias Schick's statement

Tobias Schick didn't just accept the situation. In his public statement, he makes it clear that there was a misleading representation on his campaign homepage caused by three missing letters in a bracket. This spelling error gave the impression that he had acquired an academic degree that he was not entitled to. However, Schick assures that he has the certificate as an administrative business economist (VWA) and has therefore completed the relevant educational path.

Since the identity of the person making the report is unknown and may remain anonymous, it remains to be seen what the public reaction to the investigation will be. The case is now being investigated by the public prosecutor's office, and whether charges will be brought is still unclear.

At the end of the day, it will be interesting to see how things develop, because such an accusation casts a large shadow over a mayor's political career. Cottbus is looking forward to the results of the investigation and hopes for clarity in this turbulent situation.