Meter Inspector and Wife Apprehended in €1 Million Meter Theft Investigation

A meter attendant and his wife have been detained on allegations of embezzling over €1m out of the parking meters of a small town in Germany.

The unnamed city worker is thought to have removed coins from parking meters in the town on multiple instances and deposited them in bank accounts that his spouse had access to, local police stated in a statement.

A financial crime alert by a bank notified authorities to the alleged theft. The attendant has been accused with 720 counts of theft, while his wife faces multiple counts of assisting in the crime.

Kempten Head the mayor said he was stunned and disappointed by the allegations.

In the fall, the local public prosecutor's office were informed that money was repeatedly being deposited into several accounts, according to reports.

Police then raided work locations in the early hours of 24 November, the very day that a 40-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were taken into custody.

They are now being detained in separate detention facilities.

It is uncertain how long it might have required the pair to accrue the sum.

In reaction to the allegations, Kiechle announced the formation of a committee to review past procedures, identify possible weaknesses, and effectively correct them for the coming years.

He added that the identities of the individuals could not currently be released due to the ongoing investigation and privacy concerns.

In a written statement, Kiechle stated: "I certainly back the public prosecutor's office and the law enforcement in their thorough inquiry of the claims."

"Until the case are concluded, the innocent until proven guilty stands," he continued.

The town is among the most historic settlements in Germany. Located in the country's south, it lies under the slopes of the Allgäu region and has around 70,000 residents.