Police search SPD mayoral candidate Steffen Krach’s flat and party offices in bribery probe
Berlin’s SPD mayoral candidate Steffen Krach is under investigation for alleged bribery in a hospital procurement case, prompting police raids on his private flat in Schöneberg, the Berlin SPD headquarters in Wedding, and the party’s state office in Hannover.
Police investigators from the Staatsanwaltschaft Hannover raided three locations on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, as part of a bribery probe involving Steffen Krach, the SPD’s candidate for Berlin’s mayoral race.
Scope of the investigation
The public prosecutor’s office in Hannover is examining alleged corruption linked to a health‑care procurement process. The investigation centres on whether Krach received a donation from a health‑care provider in exchange for influencing a bidding procedure for a hospital‑related property sale.
According to the German daily taz, the prosecutor’s office confirmed that the case concerns a “Vergabeverfahren im Gesundheitswesen” – a procurement procedure in the health sector – and that the investigation is being conducted under the standard principle of presumption of innocence.
Police raids
On the same day, investigators searched three sites:
| Location | District/City | Authority conducting search |
|---|---|---|
| Private flat | Berlin‑Schöneberg | Staatsanwaltschaft Hannover |
| SPD Berlin headquarters | Wedding, Berlin | Staatsanwaltschaft Hannover |
| SPD state office | Hannover | Staatsanwaltschaft Hannover |
| Source: taz, 9 September 2026 | ||
The raids were carried out by investigators authorised by the Hannover prosecutor’s office, as reported by taz. No arrests were announced at the time of the searches.
Political backdrop
The timing of the investigation is striking. Berlin’s state election is scheduled for early October 2026, only weeks after the raids. Polls have shown a gradual decline in support for the SPD, making any scandal involving its lead candidate potentially decisive for voter sentiment.
Steffen Krach, who previously served as Regionspräsident of the Region Hannover, entered the mayoral race at the start of the year. During his tenure in Hannover, the region’s population was about 1.1 million, and he sat on the supervisory board of a municipal hospital chain that operates ten hospitals. The alleged link between a donation and a bidding process relates to a property sale connected to that chain.
SPD response
SPD spokesperson Matthias Kuder rejected the allegations publicly. In an interview with Der Spiegel, Kuder said: “Als SPD Berlin … weisen wir die Anschuldigungen in aller Entschiedenheit zurück.” The party stresses the principle of innocence until proven guilty and urges the public to focus on policy issues rather than unverified claims.
Beyond the spokesperson’s statement, the SPD has not provided further comment on the specifics of the investigation or on any internal review that may be underway.
Open questions
- What exact evidence prompted the prosecutor’s office to conduct simultaneous searches at three sites?
- Will the investigation lead to formal charges, and if so, what legal consequences could Krach face?
- How will the SPD’s campaign strategy adapt to the emerging controversy in the final weeks before the election?
The prosecutor’s office has not disclosed the amount of the alleged donation or the identity of the health‑care provider involved. The investigation remains ongoing, and no court decision has been issued.
What comes next?
Given the proximity to the election, the case is likely to dominate media coverage in the coming days. Observers will watch for any further statements from the SPD, additional legal filings, or a possible decision by the prosecutor to bring formal charges. Until a court ruling, the presumption of innocence applies, but the political stakes are high.
For readers seeking more background on the SPD’s Berlin campaign, the party’s official website provides a full list of policy proposals and candidate biographies.
