German police search for perpetrators of acid attack on corporate executive

BERLIN, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Police are trying to identify two perpetrators of an acid attack on an energy company executive through DNA analysis of a glove found at the scene of the crime, German media reported on Monday.

Bernhard Guenther, chief financial officer at the German renewable energy provider Innogy, suffered serious injuries when two unknown men poured acid on the manager when he was returning from the bakery close to his Duesseldorf home on Sunday.

Police told the press that the suspects, both of whom have been charged with attempted murder, escaped on foot. At the time of writing, the acid attack victim was still being treated in a specialized medical unit.

German media have speculated that the attack may have been politically-motivated given Guenther's previous position at Innogy's mother corporation RWE which maintains a controversial involvement in environmentally-harmful brown coal power plants. According to Spiegel however, the energy executive had already once previously been the victim of violent assault. It remains unclear at this point whether the incidents are linked.

However, a spokesperson for the Wuppertal state prosecution office noted that investigators were not aware of earlier threats against the victim and that no one had claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Police emphasized on Monday that they were investigating "in all directions", scrutinizing both Guenther's personal and professional background for clues.

RWE chairman Rolf Martin Schmitz told the press that his company's staff were "shocked and appalled" by the news. According to Heilbronner Stimme newspaper, other energy providers, including Karlsruhe-based EnBW, have reacted by taking "appropriate measures" to ensure the safety of employees who were potentially at risk. Enditem