Searches conducted at 2 German ministries in customs probe

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Investigators have carried out searches at the German finance and justice ministries in a probe of suspected obstruction of justice by employees of a unit of the country’s customs service that fights money laundering. Thursday’s searches come just over two weeks ahead of a parliamentary election in which Finance Minister Olaf Scholz is running for chancellor and his center-left Social Democrats are leading polls. The justice minister is also a member of his party. Prosecutors have since last year been looking into allegations that the customs unit didn’t forward indications of possible money laundering from banks to police and judicial authorities.