Deutsche Post World Net chief executive and chairman Klaus Zumwinkel today resigned following yesterday's raid on his home and office in connection with an investigation into alleged tax evasion of some EUR 1 million. The DPA news agency reported that the German government had accepted his resignation. It said that German chancellor Angela Merkel and finance minister Peer Steinbrück had welcomed the decision.

Statement of the Executive Committee of the Supervisory Board:

The Executive Committee of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Post AG today has discussed the investigation into private matters of Klaus Zumwinkel.

Klaus Zumwinkel has informed the committee that in the interest of the company he will resign from his offices as Chairman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Post AG and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Postbank AG at the next meeting of the Supervisory Board.

The Executive Committee respects this decision and proposes to the Supervisory Board to accept the decision in the near future.

The Executive Committee expresses its thanks to Klaus Zumwinkel for the successful entrepreneurial leadership in the past 18 years and for his outstanding achievements in creating the world's leading logistics Group.