A German court yesterday cleared Christian Wulff of corruption charges for accepting more than €700 in expenses at a beer festival when he was a state premier, ending the first trial of a former post-war president.
Once tipped as a future chancellor, Mr Wulff (54) served just 20 months as president before resigning in disgrace in 2012 over favours he accepted two years before he was vaulted into the ceremonial post by his conservative ally Angela Merkel.
His dramatic fall from grace, followed by the separation from his glamorous wife Bettina, had gripped the nation. German presidents have limited power but are expected to serve as a moral compass and adhere to the highest standards of conduct.
“The accused Wulff is acquitted,” Judge Frank Rosenow told the court, adding there was insufficient evidence to prove that he had accepted illegal payments.
The charges stemmed from a 2008 visit to the Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich when Mr Wulff was premier of the state of Lower Saxony and a rising star in Dr Merkel's Christian Democrats party.
Prosecutors argued that Mr Wulff had allowed film producer David Groenewold to cover some of the costs of his hotel stay and meals, amounting to €719. In exchange, they said, Mr Wulff lobbied German conglomerate Siemens to provide financial support for a Groenewold film. “I am of course relieved that justice has prevailed,” a smiling Mr Wulff said outside court. – (Reuters)