RBB director in court: Criminal trial against ex-RBB director Schlesinger

(dpa) The former director of the RBB, Patricia Schlesinger, is to go to court in connection with the RBB scandal. The Berlin Regional Court has approved an indictment by the Public Prosecutor General's Office for breach of trust, it was announced. According to a court spokeswoman, the trial is scheduled to begin on November 10th. The court has therefore initially planned a total of 56 trial days until the end of June 2027.

After a long investigation, the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office brought charges against the former director and three other former senior employees last December. The authorities accuse them of, among other things, breach of trust.

Schlesinger rejects the allegations. "Ms. Schlesinger has based all of her decisions as director exclusively on the interests of the RBB. We will refute the allegations in full," her lawyer Oliver Sahan told the German Press Agency on the occasion of the court decision.

The Public Prosecutor's Office announced in August 2022 that it was investigating on its own initiative. The ex-director of the ARD station, who was dismissed without notice, and the other accused had so far denied the allegations. The presumption of innocence applies until a final judgment is made.

The public prosecutor's office accuses Schlesinger and the three other defendants of having damaged the RBB's assets in varying degrees between January 2018 and July 2022. They had “sometimes acted complicitly in changing constellations”.

The allegations concern a remuneration system in which variable salary components are said to have been paid out without the necessary approval of the board of directors. In addition, illegal allowances are said to have been granted in connection with the regular ARD management. In addition, the authority cites unauthorized payments for early retirement and exemption regulations as well as the reimbursement of private entertainment and travel expenses.

In 2022, allegations of nepotism and waste arose against the station's top management. It was about company cars with massage seats, luxurious furnishings in the director's office, meals at the director's expense at the director's home, business trips, non-transparent bonuses for managers and a stopped million-dollar construction project for the editorial team.

Schlesinger, who denied the allegations, had to leave. The management was replaced. The public broadcaster is still struggling with the consequences and the process has not yet been completed.

The station scandal had shaken the entire public broadcasting industry. At that time, a debate broke out about the use of the broadcasting fees that households and companies pay for public broadcasting. And many asked themselves whether the control of the media companies was sufficient. The federal states tightened the rules in state contracts.

Since Schlesinger's dismissal, she and the RBB have been fighting over a lot of money. Schlesinger and the broadcaster are making mutual claims in civil proceedings.

Schlesinger demands that the ARD house pay a so-called retirement benefit. The RBB does not want to pay the money and accuses Schlesinger of breach of duty. The broadcaster demands that the ex-director pays back money. According to the court, the claims recently totaled 1.78 million euros.

After an amicable agreement failed, the regional court handed down its verdict in mid-July 2025. Schlesinger achieved partial success - but RBB also prevailed on two points. Both sides did not accept the decision and appealed to the next higher authority. This means that all points are once again at stake before the Berlin Court of Appeal. According to the court, this will probably not be the case until spring 2027.

There were also several trials before labor judges involving dismissed RBB executives. In several cases, an out-of-court settlement was reached.