BERLIN, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Police in north Hamburg have raided district offices and an event management company over allegations that 100 tickets to a concert by premier British rock band Rolling Stones, the biggest-ever event in the city, were given away to local officials free.
District officials received the tickets, worth 10,000 euros (11,800 U.S. dollars), from FKP Scorpio after they gave the green light to the gig in September, German newspaper Die Welt reported.
Tom Oelrichs, deputy head of the Hamburg North district office, told German news magazine Der Spiegel that this has been the "standard practice" in the events industry for years.
It is reported that more than 80,000 people attended the show. Some shelled out 800 euros to buy a ticket on the black market.
Harald Rosler, head of the district office, said the free tickets were given to local politicians, office employees and their partners.
