German municipal worker and wife arrested for theft of more than €1 million from parking meters

A municipal worker in the German town of Kempten has been arrested on suspicion of stealing more than €1 million from parking meters over hundreds of incidents.

The 40-year-old man, whose job involved collecting cash from parking meters, and his 38-year-old wife were both remanded in custody after an investigation by police and prosecutors.

The case came to light after a bank reported suspicious activity involving unusually frequent cash deposits into several accounts held by the couple.

He faces charges of aggravated theft, while his wife has been charged with aiding and abetting in approximately 720 separate incidents. It remains unclear how long it took the couple to accrue the final sum.

The scandal has sparked anger in Kempten, with councillors criticising internal oversight failures and demanding a full inquiry to prevent similar cases.

Mayor Thomas Kiechle said he was deeply concerned and announced a thorough examination of administrative processes and potential weaknesses. An internal investigation committee has been established.

With a population of 68,000, Kempten is the largest town in the Allgäu region of Bavaria's southern Swabia. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in Germany.