Former Siemens chief faces admin probe

Heinrich von Pierer, the former chairman of Siemens and one of Germany's most prominent businessmen, is being investigated by prosecutors for an administrative offence in the bribery scandal that hit the German conglomerate but he has escaped criminal charges.

Prosecutors in Munich, who already have 270 suspects in the €1.3bn ($2bn) scandal, said they had found no evidence of criminal behaviour by Mr von Pierer, who was chief executive or chairman of Europe's largest engineering group throughout the alleged bribery under investigation.

But they said they would investigate him and several other unnamed former members of Siemens' management and supervisory boards for the administrative offence of breaching the corporate duty of oversight. Such an offence can only lead to a fine and never to a jail term or criminal record. No current members of either board are under investigation, prosecutors said.