100 professors in Germany suspected of taking bribes to speed up awarding of doctorates

100 professors in bribery probe in Germany

BERLIN — Cologne prosecutors say they are investigating 100 professors across Germany on suspicion they took bribes to illegally help students with their doctorates.

Prosecutors’ spokesman Guenther Feld confirmed a report in Focus magazine Saturday that the professors are believed to have been paid through an intermediary firm. Focus reported that for payments of between euro4,000 and euro20,000 the professors are alleged to have expedited the granting of doctorates for students.

The investigation has been going on for more than a year after it emerged that, using the same intermediary, a law professor at Hannover University had organized degrees for 61 students whose exam results were otherwise insufficient.

He was found guilty of bribery and sentenced to three years in prison.