German policemen suspended over far-right chat groups

Berlin, Sep 17 (IANS) Several German policemen, suspected to have been involved in at least five far-right online chat groups, were suspended, a Minister said.Addressing the media on Wednesday, Herbert Reul, minister of the interior of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), said that almost 30 officers were accused of "sending and receiving right-wing extremist propaganda in at least five private WhatsApp chat groups, which were apparently used exclusively or predominantly by police officers", reports Xinhua news agency. Reul called the development a "disgrace for the NRW police".One of the chat groups is believed to have been established in 2013. Photos of Adolf Hitler and a "fictional description" of a refugee in a gas chamber were also shared in the chat groups, the Minister said, adding the suspensions took place on Wednesday.A special internal commission has been set up to investigate the case and numerous searches across 34 police stations and residences in NRW were carried out, Reul said.
--IANS ksk/