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The town hall of Ostbevern, a red-brick building with the sign 'Rathaus', on an empty paved square.
Photo: Daniel Brockpähler, CC BY-SA 3.0

Two Town Plots, Mayor's Signature Included — EUR 300,000 Promised

Of EUR 300,000 promised, EUR 61,000 actually paid. Both building projects failed.

Sold2019Local
€300,000As stated in the source: eine Summe von 300.000 Euro versprochen

Already sold, in 2019. Nothing on Lobay is for sale.

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Seller

Role
Former mayor (Bürgermeister), acting as the municipality's representative when signing the purchase contracts
Institution
Municipality of Ostbevern
Place
Ostbevern, Kreis Warendorf, North Rhine-Westphalia
Country
Germany

Item specifics

ConditionFinal conviction. Judgment 11 Dec 2024; revisions dismissed by the BGH, final 30 July 2025
LocationOstbevern, Kreis Warendorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
SellerFormer mayor of the municipality. Name withheld.
Winning bidderA befriended entrepreneur, via newly formed companies. Name withheld.
CategoryReal estate
Sold2019
ReturnsNo returns. Prison: 3 yrs 6 mos (mayor), 3 yrs 3 mos (entrepreneur). EUR 61,000 confiscated from mayor.

Description

What the bribe bought

Two municipal plots, meant for a daycare centre and apartment buildings, sold under notarised contracts to newly formed companies controlled by the entrepreneur. Both building projects later failed.

What happened

In 2019 the then mayor of Ostbevern, acting for the municipality, signed two notarised purchase contracts in breach of duty. According to the Regional Court's findings, he had agreed to consider a befriended entrepreneur as investor in municipal projects in return for a large sum of money. The court's finding, as reported from its spokesperson, was that EUR 300,000 was promised and EUR 61,000 was actually paid. The Regional Court of Münster sentenced the former mayor to three years and six months and the entrepreneur to three years and three months. It also ordered confiscation of EUR 61,000 against the former mayor. The Federal Court of Justice dismissed the revisions, and the judgment became final on 30 July 2025.

Read the article

Ex-Bürgermeister wegen Bestechung zu Haftstrafe verurteilt · Süddeutsche Zeitung (dpa-Meldung, dpa/lnw), 2024-12-11 · Article in German

Official record

Urteil wegen Bestechung eines ehemaligen Bürgermeisters im Münsterland rechtskräftig (Nr. 155/2025) · Bundesgerichtshof, Pressestelle · Article in German

Shipping & returns

AuthorityKindAmountYear
Landgericht Münster (8 KLs 8/24), final after BGH 4 StR 244/25prison sentence (former mayor)Freiheitsstrafe von drei Jahren und sechs Monaten2024
Landgericht Münster (8 KLs 8/24), final after BGH 4 StR 244/25prison sentence (entrepreneur, bribery)Freiheitsstrafe von drei Jahren und drei Monaten wegen Bestechung2024
Landgericht Münster (8 KLs 8/24)confiscation of bribe money received (against the former mayor)€61,000As stated in the source: Einziehung von 61.000 Euro angeordnet2024