The director of the Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB), Patricia Schlesinger, who has come under massive criticism and was recalled, is dismissed without notice. She should therefore not receive any severance pay or pension payments.
This decision was announced by the incumbent chair of the board of directors of the public broadcaster ARD, Dorette König, on Monday after a council meeting in Berlin.
A press release emphasizes that the termination without notice is “as a precautionary measure”. The Board of Directors sees these resolutions as necessary in order to best protect the rights of RBB vis-à-vis Patricia Schlesinger, also in the interest of the contributors.
“I do not want to comment on the specific reasons for the extraordinary termination without notice at the present time, as these will now first be communicated to Ms. Schlesinger and her lawyer. In our opinion, this is an imperative of a fair process,” said Dorette König. The Board of Directors also sees the relationship of trust with Ms. Schlesinger as permanently destroyed by her behavior.
“I would like to make it very clear that Ms. Schlesinger is not eligible for a severance payment in connection with the early termination of her employment on the basis of the facts available,” said König. Your entitlements to the payment of post-contractual pension and survivor benefits are revoked.
After allegations of corruption, taking advantage and wasting fees, Patricia Schlesinger initially resigned as chairwoman of the ARD, until a few days later she also resigned from her position as director of the RBB. Last week she was recalled by the RBB Broadcasting Council with immediate effect. The public prosecutor’s office is now investigating Patricia Schlesinger, her husband Gerhard Spörl and the former head of the board of directors Wolf-Dieter Wolf.
The station is currently unmanaged. The acting director Hagen Brandstätter was on sick leave for several weeks, as the RBB confirmed to the daily mirror. A replacement is still being sought.
