Officials confirmed that German prosecutors and police searched Deutsche Bank’s headquarters in Frankfurt and its Berlin office in an investigation into suspected money laundering, on Wednesday, January 28th.The probe is reportedly connected to the bank’s dealings with companies linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who has been sanctioned by the European Union following the start of the Ukraine-Russia war.
The Frankfurt prosecutor’s office said the investigation concerns
unknown responsible parties and employees of Deutsche Bank on suspicion of money laundering…and related additional allegations under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
The investigation is being led by a specialist economic crime unit in cooperation with federal police. An official responded
In the past, Deutsche Bank maintained business relationships with foreign companies that…are themselves suspected of having been used for the purpose of money laundering.
A Deutsche Bank representative confirmed the raids and stated the bank is “cooperating fully with prosecutors”—while declining to provide further comment.
According to Der Spiegel, the Frankfurt search began just after 10:00 a.m. and involved around 30 plainclothes investigators. Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported that the inquiry may focus on whether Deutsche Bank failed to report potential money laundering in a timely manner.
