By IRNA
Berlin : German police raided Thursday the headquarters of the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD) in Berlin, arresting the party’s treasurer Erwin Kemna on financial corruption charges, news reports said.
An unidentified party spokesman said he did not know why the police sweep was conducted.
The NPD has faced severe financial problems over the past months.
The far-right party is not represented in the German parliament but has secured seats in the assemblies of two east German states.
Although there have been calls by the public to outlaw the neo-Nazi party, the German government is wary of a new legal bid to bar the NPD after the country’s highest court in 2003 blocked a previous attempt to ban the right-wing extremist party.
The court refused to hear the case because the government cited statements by party members who turned out to be paid informers for state authorities.