Krah, who represents the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AFD), has been under investigation since the spring for money laundering and bribery, which he is suspected of having committed during his time as an EU parliamentarian.
The money laundering is suspected to have taken place in connection with payments that Krah is said to have received from Chinese sources. He denies this.
One of the politician's assistants during his time in the EU parliament has been formally accused by German authorities of having spied on behalf of China over a longer period. When this was revealed, the AFD excluded Krah from its parliamentary group in the EU parliament. However, he was not expelled from the party and in the German election earlier this year – where the AFD became the second-largest party – he was instead elected to the Bundestag in Berlin.
The parliament's decision to lift the immunity of Maximilian Krah specifically allows for searches and seizures.
