The municipal council of the German city of Halle has temporarily removed Mayor Bernd Wiegand from office because he was vaccinated against KOVID in January without being in any of the priority groups, AFP reported.
Sixty-four-year-old Wiegand received a dose, although only the elderly were immunized at the time, according to AFP.
He was on leave and absent from the council meeting. He later explained that he had been vaccinated so that prepared but unused doses would not be wasted. For a while, he claimed to have taken advantage of a draw.
Other city officials also gained access to the vaccine before it was their turn, and the mayor tried to cover it up, according to the Halle prosecutor’s office, which has launched an investigation. Municipal councilors were also illegally vaccinated and later apologized.
The mayor can appeal his removal to an administrative court, AFP said.
To date, more than 10 million people in Germany have received at least one dose of the vaccine – 13 percent of the population.
However, many elected officials have been embroiled in pandemic scandals.
Conservative MPs were suspected of receiving juicy commissions when ordering protective masks in bulk. This significantly lowered the rating of the HDZ / HSS, the formation of Chancellor Angela Merkel, nearly six months before the parliamentary elections, the agency added.
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