Top aide to German minister ousted after 'best man' affair

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Wednesday that a top aide is leaving his post following allegations of cronyism, reported dpa.

Patrick Graichen, state secretary at Habeck's ministry, first sparked controversy with his involvement in the decision to appoint his best man for the top job at the state-owned German Energy Agency (Dena).

Habeck, of the Green Party, had stuck by his right hand Graichen for weeks even though both admitted that a "mistake" had been made in the process of selecting Michael Schäfer for the Dena director job.

"The moment it became clear that my best man and long-time friend Michael Schäfer was applying for the position, I should have withdrawn from the selection committee," Graichen, also of the Greens, told Bundestag lawmakers last week.

Habeck also announced last week that Graichen was being investigated under civil service law, because the guidelines of the Ministry of Economic Affairs had "clearly been violated."

But the apology and promised investigation were not enough for opposition conservative lawmakers, who have been demanding Graichen's resignation in recent days.

Habeck said on Wednesday that the decision to finally remove Graichen came after further internal reviews that indicated another possible conflict of interest.

Graichen's sister serves on the board of the Association for the Environment and Nature Protection Germany (BUND), which had lined up financial support from the federal government.

"It's one mistake too many. That's why I made this decision today," Habeck said. "This is a far-reaching, difficult decision - far-reaching for my ministry, difficult for me and very difficult for Patrick Graichen. But it is about protecting trust in the work of this ministry as an institution. It's about maintaining the ability to act politically."