The public prosecutor's office in Hanover has formally indicted former German president Christian Wulff for corruption. This was confirmed to the weekly Der Spiegel by the prosecutor's spokesman, Oliver Eisenhauer. This is an obligatory step, after Wulff's lawyers rejected a plea bargain offer which included a fine of 20 euros to dismiss the case.
In February last year Wulff was forced to resign as president of the Federal Republic of Germany after revelations about a long series of hotel stays paid for by business friends, favored holidays on the island of Sylt and lobbying for a film producer Friend.
After 14 months of investigations, all but one charge has been dropped: accepting a contribution towards the payment of hotel expenses during a stay in Munich for the Oktoberfest in 2008, when Wulff was head of the Lower Saxony regional government. It is 400 euros, to which must be added another 370 euros also accepted for meal vouchers at the Oktoberfest and baby-sitter expenses. Not exactly a legacy.
Hence the prosecutor's request for a plea deal and the consequent reaction of Wulff, who will contest the accusation of having been bribed by his friend David Groenewold in court. Now the word passes to the process.
