Deutsche Bank Offices Searched by German Prosecutors in Money-Laundering Probe — Update

By Adria Calatayud and Matthias Goldschmidt

German prosecutors searched Deutsche Bank's offices in Frankfurt and Berlin as part of what they said was an investigation into allegations of money laundering.

The Frankfurt prosecutor's office said Wednesday that it was conducting a preliminary investigation into managers and employees of Deutsche Bank on suspected money laundering. The bank maintained business relationships with foreign companies that are suspected of having been used for money laundering in other investigations, the prosecutor's office added.

"We confirm that the Frankfurt public prosecutor's office is on site in our offices," a Deutsche Bank spokesman said. "The bank is cooperating fully with the public prosecutor's office. We cannot comment further."

The investigation comes as Deutsche Bank, which is due to release fourth-quarter results on Thursday, seeks to move away from past scandals. Its chief executive, Christian Sewing, has been trying to pull Deutsche Bank to firmer ground, reduce its risk appetite and restore profitability.

In November, he said at an event with investors that the bank was fully back. Reinforcing a culture of accountability is essential to boosting shareholders' value, Sewing said.

Shares in Deutsche Bank were down 2.6% in European afternoon trade, with losses deepening after reports of the search came out before recovering somewhat. German publication Der Spiegel first reported the news.

Write to Adria Calatayud at adria.calatayud@wsj.com and to Matthias Goldschmidt at matthias.goldschmidt@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 28, 2026 09:19 ET (14:19 GMT)