In 2020 the state of Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister of the Interior, Grote, who had critically investigated the “rocker affair”, resigned. Governor Günther had asked him to. Grote had fallen out of favour with the police leadership and a police union, as well as with parts of his own party CDU, such as minister of the interior at the time of the affair, Schlie, after dismissing police leaders involved in the “rocker affair”.

German media are currently discussing an internal investigation within public broadcaster NDR, according to which a journalist was prohibited from interviewing Grote about the given and the true reasons for Günther’s decision. The interference by leading NDR journalists, some of which are reported to be CDU members, may have been politically motivated.

We can now publish the report here (some journalist’s names are redacted).

Background: In 2010, the Schleswig-Holstein State Criminal Police Office allegedly partially suppressed exculpatory testimony in favor of two accused rockers and used every means at its disposal to prevent the investigating officers from recording it in full in the case file and testifying in court. All of this served to protect an informant whose identity should not have been protected under the law.