Ammunition affair in the KSK: Former commander in court

Elite soldiers were able to anonymously return ammunition that was missing from the stocks. Their commander is said to have thwarted prosecution with this action and must now answer in court.

NAfter an ammunition affair at the Special Forces Command (KSK), former KSK commander Markus Kreitmayr has to answer before the Tübingen district court from this Friday. The public prosecutor’s office accuses the 55-year-old brigadier general of failing to cooperate in criminal proceedings in accordance with Section 40 of the Military Penalty Act. The accusation is comparable to the criminal offense of obstruction of justice.

The background is that during the annual ammunition inventory for 2019, significant shortages were discovered in the KSK ammunition warehouse in Calw, west of Stuttgart. The brigadier general was aware of the inventory report, according to the public prosecutor’s office. Kreitmayr then decided that the soldiers could return ammunition anonymously and with impunity. The anonymous return of the ammunition in spring 2020 made it impossible to prosecute these crimes.

Kreitmayr’s lawyers, Christian Mensching and Bernd Müssig, had stated: “The allegations made against General Kreitmayr in the indictment are factually and legally unfounded; The defense assumes that the accusation will not stand up in court.” The accusation is not legally viable.

Kreitmayr is considered innocent until the proceedings are legally concluded. Four hearing dates have been scheduled for the trial until the end of February.