German TV star quits over drugs

Friedman has asked the public to give him a second chance

A German Jewish leader and controversial talk show host has resigned from his posts after apologising for a drug scandal that has gripped the nation.

Michel Friedman finally broke his month-long silence and agreed to a criminal penalty after cocaine was found during raids at his home and office.

The allegations against the 48-year-old, famed for giving his celebrity guests a grilling, had dominated the headlines and sparked anti-Semitism claims against the police and prosecutors.

"Yes I made a mistake," Mr Friedman told a news conference in Frankfurt. "I'm resigning from all my offices".

Born to Polish Jews who were saved from Auschwitz by Oskar Schindler, Mr Friedman is a prominent figure in the German Jewish community and known for speaking out against the far right.

He was President of the European Jewish Congress and deputy head of the German Central Council of Jews, as well as being a leading figure in the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Germany's main conservative party.

I have disappointed people, people in my Jewish community, minorities, people I have worked with for more than three decades Michel Friedman

In early June, it emerged he was under investigation following the discovery of cocaine in raids on his home and office.

Following the allegations, Mr Friedman immediately went to ground, cancelling his top-rated show Watch Out, It's Friedman!.

The case caught the media's imagination, not least because the tables appeared to have turned on a man renowned for making political leaders squirm.

Hefty fine

Some Jewish leaders suggested the intense coverage of the investigation had anti-Semitic undertones, although others disputed that.

At a news conference in Frankfurt, Mr Friedman appealed for understanding over his decision to stay silent for so long.

He said he had agreed to pay a fine of 17,400 euros ($19,640) for drugs possession.

"I have been punished for what I did, and I accept the order of summary punishment," he said.

"Drugs offer no assistance in your life's crises. They mislead you and are dangerous."

He said he now wanted to win back the trust of both the German people, and his partner Baerbel Schaefer to whom he publicly apologised.

"I ask all of you to keep in mind that this incident was not my whole life," he said.

Leader of the Central Council of German Jews, Paul Spiegel, said he accepted Mr Friedman's resignation with regret.

He called Mr Friedman a "very responsible man" who had made significant contributions to the Jewish community.