Defense Minister Kramp-Karrenbauer announced that defense disciplinary attorneys would be tasked with investigating any violations of duty. The brigadier general remained in his commanding post during the investigation.
GLegal investigations are initiated against the commander of the Special Forces Command ( KSK ). Brigadier General Markus Kreitmayr is therefore suspected of violating official duties in connection with a collection campaign for ammunition. The background to this is an allegedly illegal amnesty action, in which soldiers from the special forces command were able to hand in previously diverted ammunition anonymously and without legal consequences.
In the spring of 2020, several tens of thousands of cartridges were collected, the majority of which were practice ammunition. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) announced on Sunday that the military disciplinary attorney of the Medical Service Command would be tasked with the preliminary disciplinary investigations.
Kreitmayr remains in his commanding post in the KSK barracks in Calw during the investigation. The minister said: “Like every soldier, Brigadier General Kreitmayr deserves a fair and transparent procedure that also takes into account his motives and backgrounds.” In her statement, Kramp-Karrenbauer made it clear that the conditions in the KSK are not just for Kreitmayr and his subordinates, but can also have consequences for the superior division and beyond.
She said on Sunday: “It is clear to me that the culture of systematically disregarding rules when dealing with ammunition before General Kreitmayr takes over command also raises questions for the KSK command level at least in 2017 and 2018, as well as the responsible service supervisors . “Kreitmayr was the one in command who, after a more thorough inventory for the first time, had reacted to considerable shortages in 2019.
The lack of ammunition and explosives had become particularly explosive in the summer of last year after stolen ammunition, explosives and a functioning assault rifle were found in the garden of an active KSK instructor. The sergeant had been arrested and was sentenced to a two-year suspended prison sentence in Leipzig last week. The verdict is not yet legally binding.