In Berlin, investigation proceedings have been initiated against representatives of the state-owned Investitionsbank Berlin, which provided COVID-19 emergency aid payments ("Corona-Soforthilfe").  The Berlin public prosecutor's office is conducting investigations into embezzlement and aiding and abetting embezzlement, after it has been suspected that the allocation of funds was not controlled sufficiently to ensure they were not being misused (see our short update of 6 July 2020).

At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the emergency aid programme was set up to help small entrepreneurs and solo self-employed persons as quickly as possible. Applicants just had to upload their name, company address, ID card, tax number and bank details. The Berlin Senate's economic administration which set up the programme said they had, "followed the call of the federal government: pay out quickly, control later". 

Currently, there are more than 2,200 investigation proceedings into fraud related to COVID emergency aid payments. 

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