Half a million for inaction: Klötze's ex-head of office shocked!

Half a million for inaction: Klötze's ex-head of office shocked!

In Klötze, Saxony-Anhalt, the story of the former head of office Ulf D. is causing a stir. Since 2019, he has been receiving a hefty salary despite not showing up for work. The reason? A drunk driving incident in which he hit a woman resulted in his immediate suspension. What is striking is that D. hasn't had a driver's license since 2007, but he still drove around in a company car, which put the city of Klötze in a legal dilemma. Disciplinary proceedings had to be initiated because an official cannot simply be dismissed, reports t online.

The situation has been dragging on for over six years. During this time, D. received more than half a million euros in salary without fulfilling his duties. In March 2025, the Higher Administrative Court rejected the ex-head's last appeal. While D. does not have to repay the salary he had received up to that point, he has lost his pension rights. He received half of his salary for a transitional period of six months, which makes the outcome of the process no less curious.

Disciplinary proceedings and legal challenges

According to the Civil Service Act (BeamtStG), drunk driving, even outside of working hours, is a serious offense that is usually punished with disciplinary measures. This is particularly true if the officer is driving a company vehicle or repeats the crime. These findings could have played a role for Ulf D., because he was an officer entrusted with vehicle driving and had already had to face legal consequences for a similar drunk driving.

The legal framework for disciplinary proceedings is clearly regulated. Evidence can be collected through various methods, including witness interviews and the confiscation of documents. The city of Klötze and the responsible authorities had to carry out a careful process to shed light on the allegations against D. The process turned out to be long and complicated, which took place at the expense of taxpayers' money for the city's citizens, while D. lay comfortably on his lazy skin like that Civil Service Law Hannover website explained.

The reactions from politics

The mayor of Klötze, Alexander Kleine, was visibly relieved about the outcome of the proceedings and the possibility of filling the vacant position soon. The whole affair has not only put a strain on D.'s professional life, but also on citizens' trust in public institutions.

In summary, this case is not only an example of the challenges in dealing with civil service law, but also highlights the need to maintain public trust in the administration. After all, trust is the be-all and end-all when it comes to cooperation between citizens and state representatives. The city's commitment, tested by these incidents, must be restored to strengthen its relationship with citizens.