The European Parliament on Thursday removed the immunity of the German EU lawmaker Gunnar Beck from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in connection with allegations of shoplifting and resistance to law enforcement.
The majority of the EU legislator voted to approve the request made by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Dusseldorf, Germany. New investigations against Beck can now proceed
A report by parliament’s legal committee said the German politician was under investigation for intentional bodily harm, resisting police and stealing low-value items.
According to the report, Beck attempted to steal product samples from a department store in Neuss, Germany in October 2022. A criminal complaint for shoplifting was later filed.
Beck allegedly attempted to leave the store and was detained by store detectives. The police then intervened. Beck resisted the store’s security personnel, the parliament report said, citing investigators in Germany.
The Dusseldorf Public Prosecutor’s Office initially did not provide further details when asked. Beck said the accusations were unfounded.
He told DPA that the case was closed but was reopened for political reasons. “I’m looking forward to a proper procedure,” he said.
In 2022, Beck was fined 9,200 euros for misuse of an official title, after presenting himself as a “teacher”. He argued that he did not intend his statement, “I am a professor and lawyer specializing in EU law in London”, to imply that he had a formal teaching position.
