ARCHIV - 20.12.2021, Berlin: Patricia Schlesinger, Intendantin des Rundfunks Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) und ARD-Vorsitzende, spricht während eines Interviews mit der Deutschen Presse-Agentur. (zu dpa «RBB-Intendantin führt Amt während Untersuchung von Vorwürfen weiter») Foto: Britta Pedersen/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++

Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) is setting up a whistleblower system to deal with the allegations against director Patricia Schlesinger, among others. This is intended to enable the station’s staff to make anonymous reports, as announced by the board of directors in Berlin on Monday. “Further regulations ensure that no sanctions can be exercised against employees for statements made during the examination process.”

In a service instruction, unrestricted cooperation with the investigating law firm is requested. Schlesinger promised the anonymous whistleblower system in a Tagesspiegel interview at the end of July.

We have started with the review and examination of the documents. “Due to the scope, an examination is expected to take at least six to eight weeks. There will be no interim results, particularly so as not to jeopardize the course of the investigations.”

“Without exception, all allegations are being investigated.” According to the announcement, the examination in terms of personnel – “mainly, not conclusively” – covers the behavior of the director and the chairman of the board of directors, Wolf-Dieter Wolf, who is leaving his office while the allegations are being clarified.

The RBB hasn’t calmed down since the online portal “Business Insider” recently published detailed allegations against the station and its director. The allegations relate, for example, to an allegedly incorrect billing of business dinners at Schlesinger and the employment of consultants for an RBB real estate project, who are said to come from the environment of the head of the board of directors, Wolf. Schlesinger and Wolf have denied the allegations.

Dorette König, acting chairwoman of the administrative board, emphasized that the compliance officer was not subject to any instructions from the employer during the course of the audit.

With regard to the rental agreement for the Audi A8 company car from director Schlesinger, the RBB board of directors “so far has not received any indications of illegal behavior,” Dorette König also told the Tagesspiegel. “An affair is an embarrassing, scandalous incident that I haven’t seen before.”