Police search office of EU lawmaker Krah over China spying claims

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - Police searched the Brussels office of European Parliament lawmaker Maximilian Krah over China spying claims, German authorities said on Tuesday.

Federal prosecutors said Krah’s office in the European Parliament was searched this morning as part of an investigation into his parliamentary assistant Jian G., who is accused of being “an employee of China’s secret service.”

Jian G. was arrested last month on suspicion of carrying out espionage activities at the European Parliament, and passing on sensitive information to China, claims denied by Beijing.

German prosecutors said the search was conducted after the European Parliament allowed them to enter the building. Brussels police led the search, with German authorities observing.

Maximilian Krah, a prominent figure of the far-right, Islamophobic AfD party, is running as a lead candidate in next month’s European Parliament elections. Krah said last month that he will be terminating the contract of his assistant, but ruled out stepping down over the incident.