08.08.2022, Berlin: Das Logo des öffentlichen Senders Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) ist an der Fassade am Sitz des Senders an der Masurenallee angebracht. Nach anhaltender Kritik hat die RBB-Intendantin Schlesinger ihr Amt niedergelegt. Foto: Monika Skolimowska/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++

In the debate about social evenings for the retired RBB director, it is now becoming clearer that at least in one case it was actually a private rather than a business meeting. For example, ex-RBB director Patricia Schlesinger had invited to her apartment in Berlin-Zehlendorf for a meal on February 12, 2022, which was also attended by Berlin’s police chief, Barbara Slowik. She described the evening as “purely private”, which she would have paid for otherwise.

On Tuesday, the Tagesspiegel learned from the group of participants that Slowik’s information was “completely” correct. RBB did not play a role in the talks that evening, and several guests “unequivocally” assumed a “private meeting”. It is therefore questionable that the top public official Schlesinger charged her employer for the costs of the evening as expenses. Police President Slowik’s statements are plausible, according to which she did not know that the meal was ultimately financed by public broadcasting fees.

Schlesinger had not only classified and billed this evening as business on her station. On February 12, in addition to hostess Schlesinger and her husband, ex-“Spiegel” editor Gerhard Spörl, three other couples and individuals were present. In addition to police chief Slowik and her husband, Munich’s film school president Bettina Reitz and her husband and Charité boss Heyo Kroemer and his wife were present. Two more people came.

The opposition wants to be informed about the events of the red-green-red Senate after the summer break at the latest. “We will ask the justice senator in the next legal committee about the status of the investigation and the group of suspects in the Schlesinger cause,” said CDU legal expert Alexander J. Herrmann to the Tagesspiegel. “The people from the city society who are involved as guests also require transparent information.”

As reported, the Berlin public prosecutor’s office is investigating against RBB boss Schlesinger, who resigned on Sunday, her husband and the previous RBB chairman of the board of directors, Wolf-Dieter Wolf, on suspicion of infidelity and accepting benefits.