Maximilian Krah, a member of the German AfD party said he would not back out of European Parliament elections after one of his top aides was arrested on suspicion of spying for China. Photo by Ronald Wittek/EPA-EFE
April 24 (UPI) — Far-right German politician Maximilian Krah said Wednesday he will not drop out of European parliamentary elections after one of his top aides was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.
Krah, a member of European Parliament, told reporters in Berlin that he is “and will remain the lead candidate” for the Alternative for Germany Party in the elections set for early June.
“If you think this is the end of my candidacy, then I have to disappoint you,” Krah said.
Leaders of the AfD Party, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupulla, said they plan on sticking with Krah in his European election run but his presence at rallies would be diminished and campaign posters featuring his face held back.
Following a face-to-face meeting with Krah the party leaders announced that he had agreed to fire his aide.
Krah had identified the aide as Jian Guo who was arrested by the State Criminal Police Office of Saxony on Tuesday on charges that he acted as an agent for a foreign secret service.
Krah maintained that he had no prior knowledge of the alleged spying.
“I am extremely interested in an explanation and will make an effort to find out myself what the concrete accusations are,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Authorities are accusing Guo, a Chinese-German, of giving details of European parliamentary businesses to the Chinese secret service. He was arrested at his home in Dresden and faced a judge on Wednesday. Guo remains in pre-trial detention.
Guo was the fourth person arrested over two days in Germany facing charges that they were spying on behalf of the Chinese intelligence service.