this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2024
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A German politician has been filmed taking large sums of cash from a Kremlin-supporting broadcaster, Czech intelligence has claimed.

Petr Bystron, who is standing for Alternative for Germany (AfD) at European parliamentary elections in June, allegedly received €20,000 (£17,000) in cash from the manager of a Russian propaganda network while sitting in a parked car, recordings indicate.

Mr Bystron, who also sits on the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, has previously denied allegations of taking Russian money as a “defamation campaign”.

The Security Information Service (BIS), the Czech Republic’s domestic intelligence agency, now says Mr Bystron met with Artem Marchevsky, who allegedly managed a Kremlin-backed propaganda front called Voice of Europe, at least three times in the past six months.

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[–] l10lin@lemmy.world 14 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Don't know what can 20k euro achieve. Russia must be lacking of money.

[–] IcePee@lemmy.beru.co 14 points 6 months ago (1 children)

This may have been one of a series of payments. This is only one that leeked.

[–] Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Very likely this. Transfers above a certain threshold are automatically looked into to prevent money laundering, so getting a big bunch of cash at once is less convenient than getting several, smaller payments.

[–] Sizzler@slrpnk.net 1 points 6 months ago (2 children)

You think this is going through the bank?

[–] Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I would think so, yeah. Purchases of over 10,000€ are automatically put under investigation, so a larger bribe would be tedious to launder. I'm not a money laundering expert tho, so I don't know how they do it. That's just how I would prefer to be bribed, I guess lol

[–] Sizzler@slrpnk.net 1 points 6 months ago

In this case it was €20k in cash. Other ways is 'after dinner" speaking fees.

[–] cygon@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago

Small enough to not get noticed, too little to cover their lifestyle for long, yet too convenient to not take :)

The big paydays usually happen through companies the politician and his ilk are in the board of, which just score very lucrative contracts or orders time after time. Or the politician is hired as a consultant for such companies, collecting fabulous kickbacks. Or the promise of early retirement into "window-looking jobs," employment where they have a title, high income and zero responsibilities.

[–] ForgotAboutDre@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

If your blackmailing someone forcing them to take cash from you can them be used to blackmail the person further. They can press on them more, because they are now collaborators and won't get any symphony from the public or a jury.

[–] Gabu@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago

To be fair, I doubt the public would give them a symphony either way. Seems like it'd be expensive and require a lot of training.