Editing Neuruppin (section)

=== Dealing with corruption ===
In 2004, Neuruppin made headlines for corruption and [[nepotism]]. In view of the growing scandals in local politics, the city acquired derogatory nicknames such as "Märkisches Palermo" or "Klein Palermo"<ref>{{cite web|title=Wie der XY-Fall die Stadt geprägt hat|periodical=Info Radio Berlin 9|publisher=|url=http://www.inforadio.de/dossier/25-Jahre-Mauerfall/beitraege-neuruppin/wie-der-xy-fall-die-stadt-gepraegt-hat.html|access-date=2015-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925081233/http://www.inforadio.de/dossier/25-Jahre-Mauerfall/beitraege-neuruppin/wie-der-xy-fall-die-stadt-gepraegt-hat.html|archive-date=2015-09-25|last=Diana Teschler|date=|year=|language=|pages=|quote=}}</ref> and "Korruppin" as it struggled with battling corruption.<ref name="Korruption">Alexander Fröhlich: [http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/Brandenburg-Neuruppin-Korruption;art128,2616007 Stadt unter Filz], [[Tagesspiegel]] published 17 September 2008, retrieved on 12 August 2022.<!-- Permalink: {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.webcitation.org/5b055lLXz?url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/Brandenburg-Neuruppin-Korruption;art128,2616007 |date=* }} --></ref><ref name="TS2010">Zuletzt Alexander Fröhlich: [http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/Brandenburg-Neuruppin-Selbstmord-Stadtwerke;art128,3023307?_FRAME=33&_FORMAT=PRINT Tagesspiegel] published 7 February 2010, retrieved on 12 August 2022.</ref>

The former CDU city councilor Olaf Kamrath was legally sentenced in 2006 as the head of the XY gang to many years in prison for, among other things, gang-related narcotics offences.<ref name="Korruption" /> In 2007, the verdict against former city councilor Reinhard Sommerfeld (Neuruppiner Initiative) was the only legally binding conviction of an elected official in Germany for bribery of members of parliament to date.<ref>Andreas Vogel: {{Webarchive |url=https://www.webcitation.org/5mPXUrrKW?url=http://www.maerkischeallgemeine.de/app/mazarchiv/mazarchiv.php?search=normal&search=normal&datum_eingabe=kreuz&tag_eins=17&monat_eins=10&jahr_eins=2007&tag_zwei=23&monat_zwei=10&jahr_zwei=2007&site=2&id=1425208 |title=Sommerfeld muss Mandat abgeben Bundesgerichtshof lehnt Revision ab / Urteil wegen Bestechlichkeit damit rechtskräftig }} In: ''[[Märkische Allgemeine]]'', Dosse Kurier, 20 October 2007<!-- Permalink: {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.webcitation.org/5mPXUrrKW?url=http://www.maerkischeallgemeine.de/app/mazarchiv/mazarchiv.php?search=normal&search=normal&datum_eingabe=kreuz&tag_eins=17&monat_eins=10&jahr_eins=2007&tag_zwei=23&monat_zwei=10&jahr_zwei=2007&site=2&id=1425208 |date=* }} -->.</ref> The former state parliament member Otto Sommerfeld was convicted of [[bribery]] of members of parliament.

On May 15, 2008, former state parliament member Otto Theel ([[Die Linke]]) was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence for taking advantage in office during his term as mayor of Neuruppin. He subsequently resigned his seat in the state parliament.<ref>[http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/Brandenburg;art128,2534774?_FRAME=33&_FORMAT=PRINT Links-Abgeordneter Otto Theel tritt nach Verurteilung zurück], Tagesspiegel 21 May 2008<!-- Permalink: {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.webcitation.org/5mPXiv25u?url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/Brandenburg;art128,2534774?_FRAME=33&_FORMAT=PRINT |date=* }} -->.</ref> In September 2008, Sparkasse Ostprignitz-Ruppin parted ways with its previous CEO Josef Marckhoff, who had his employer throw him a circa 55,000 euro celebration to mark his own 60th birthday. The date coincided with the company's 160th anniversary.<ref name="Korruption" />

The former managing director of the municipal public utility company Neuruppin Dietmar Lenz was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence of two years on March 19, 2009, on charges of a serious breach of trust and acceptance of benefits, having spent more than 500,000 euros bypassing the supervisory board to support the sports club [[MSV Neuruppin]]. At the end of 2009 he committed suicide.<ref>{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527024744/http://www.maerkischeallgemeine.de/cms/beitrag/11693440/61299/Der-langjaehrige-Neuruppiner-Stadtwerke-Chef-nahm-sich-selbst.html?print=J |title=Der langjährige Neuruppiner Stadtwerke-Chef nahm sich selbst das Leben |date=2011-05-27}}, MAZ 30 December 2009.<!-- Alternativlink: {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.webcitation.org/5mPTNL0L9?url=http://www.maerkischeallgemeine.de/cms/beitrag/11693440/61299/Der-langjaehrige-Neuruppiner-Stadtwerke-Chef-nahm-sich-selbst.html?print=J |date=* }} --></ref> A citizens' initiative initiated with the help of the two relevantly previously convicted Otto Theel and Reinhard Sommerfeld a deselection petition against Mayor Jens-Peter Golde. Golde was accused by the citizens' petition "Kein weiter so!" of lacking leadership quality, failing to fulfill his election program and endangering jobs in Neuruppin. It failed by its own account in February 2010 with 5079 of the required 5300 signatures.<ref name="TS2010" /><ref name="KWS!">Bürgerbegehren "Kein weiter so!", Presseerklärung 8 February 2010.</ref>

As of January 1, 2016, Neuruppin became the sixth corporate municipal member of [[Transparency International]], along with Bonn, Hamm (Westphalia), Potsdam, Leipzig, and Halle (Saale).<ref>[http://www.neuruppin.de/fileadmin/dateien/Verwaltung_und_Politik/Korruptionspraevention/AKB_Bericht_2015.pdf Beitritt als kommunales Mitglied bei Transparency International zum 1 January 2016] (PDF; 93&nbsp;kB) Neuruppin.de</ref>