Scandal for false naturalizations: police officers stalk!

Scandal for false naturalizations: police officers stalk!

In a sensational case about naturalizations in Berlin, an employee of the state office for naturalization and two members of a naturalized family are suspected of bribery and incorrect certification. As the Cityreport reported on April 15, 2025, searches in the Berlin districts of Marzahn and Rudow occurred. These measures were carried out on behalf of the Berlin General Prosecutor's Office and aimed at a 38-year-old employee of the office who is accused of illegal to a family from Northern Macedonia.

The fact that the family had already withdrawn their naturalization applications is particularly explosive. It is all the more surprising that the employee was not authorized to carry out naturalization. Instead, he is blamed for serious allegations: he is said to have signed naturalization certificates with a false name and have used a foreign seal. He is also accused of deleting the foreign files of the affected family. The investigation into this manipulations took place by the anti-corruption officer of the state office and employees of the IT department, which became aware of possible irregularities, as well as the Tagesspiegel addressed.

evidence and motifs

In the searches on April 15, the investigators found numerous electronic storage media that are now evaluated to secure further evidence. It can be assumed that the digital documents contain detailed information about access to the family's data records. According to the authorities, the main suspect could possibly have misused passwords to manipulate or delete the files. This raises serious questions about the security of the new digital naturalization procedure, which only passed from the districts to the state office in 2024.

Another interesting aspect is the suspected personal relationship between the employee and one of the natural women. Such complications could be seen as a motive for the violations of the law. Two other suspects in this case are a 39-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman who also belong to the family and against whom there is a suspicion of bribery.

The legal framework

The allegations should not be underestimated, because bribery in the public service is punished strictly under German law. According to the Haufe portal, the assumption of advantages for officials can result in serious legal consequences. People who offer bribery or contribute to this are also the focus of the investigation and can expect financial punishment or deprivation of liberty. The integrative relationship between citizens and administration could be heavily burdened by this incident.

At the moment it remains exciting to observe how the investigation will develop and what measures the Berlin authorities will take to restore the trust of the population in a transparent and fair naturalization procedure. Because one thing is clear: there is something and the public will look closely.