Germany Defence Minister to be sacked

German Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping is to be sacked after revelations emerged that he accepted royalties from a public relations adviser, a senior member of the governing Social Democrats said today.

‘‘A decision has been taken,’’ said Gernot Erler, the deputy leader in parliament of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s party. ‘‘There will be a personnel change at the top of the Defence Ministry.’’

The move comes less than 10 weeks before closely fought national elections in which Schroeder is seeking a second term.

German ministers are not allowed to receive any payments other than their ministerial salary.

Scharping insisted that the payments from public relations adviser Moritz Hunzinger for his future memoirs were properly reported and said they dated back to before he became a minister in 1998.