Alleged incident of anti-Semitism - Confession out of fear of the costs? This is how expensive the trial was for Gil Ofarim
On November 28, Gil Ofarim confessed his lie in courtroom 115 at Leipzig District Court. He had not been subjected to anti-Semitic discrimination at the Westin Leipzig hotel, as he had previously stated on oath. It was also untrue that hotel employee Markus W. had asked him on October 4, 2021 to remove his chain with the Star of David before he was allowed to check in.
"The allegations are true. Mr W., I would like to apologize to you, I'm sorry." W. accepted the apology. The proceedings against Ofarim were discontinued in return for a fine. Part of the dismissal is an out-of-court victim-offender settlement in which Ofarim acknowledged the hotel employee's claims for damages. Both sides have agreed not to disclose the amount.
Gil Ofarim: This is how much money the trial is costing him
Lawyer Jürgen Möthrath, President of the Association of German Defense Lawyers: "Amounts of up to 2,000 euros are usual for such a case. In view of the public interest and the fact that the employee was in the spotlight for longer and longer, amounts of between 5,000 and 10,000 euros are quite conceivable."
However, the financial consequences of Ofarim's lie are far greater, as can easily be calculated.
The most expensive item is likely to be the costs for his legal team. Norbert Schneider, a member of the German Bar Association, calculates: "Agreements are concluded in this area, for example on an hourly basis. It is not unusual to pay 300 or 400 euros per hour." It is also possible that a flat rate or a daily fee has been agreed. Lawyer Möthrath even considers an hourly rate of 500 euros per hour to be possible.
Ofarim had hired not just one, but four lawyers to defend him. "One would have been enough, especially as a confession must have been foreseeable right from the start," says Norbert Schneider. The costs could therefore quickly run into six figures. 30,000 or 35,000 euros per lawyer is conceivable. The team was not only active for Ofarim during the six days of the trial, the investigation lasted almost two years. During this time, his lawyers are likely to have repeatedly advised their client and questioned witnesses - and certainly charged corresponding fees.
Gil Ofarim must bear the costs of the other side
In view of these considerable sums, the expenses of the other side, which Ofarim is also paying for, are hardly significant. This is because the lawyer for hotel employee Markus W. is only charged flat-rate costs within the scope of the statutory remuneration, not the fees actually paid. Lawyer Schneider explains: "1000 euros will have been incurred up to the main hearing plus 600 euros for each appointment during the main hearing." Ofarim's confession took place on the sixth day of the trial - an estimated 4600 euros for the other side.
Nevertheless, Gil Ofarim will not have to pay any trial or court costs, nor will he have to pay the expenses for witnesses and experts. The proceedings were discontinued at the expense of the state treasury, the legal expenses are financed by taxpayers' money.
A final decision on the amount of all costs will only be made once Ofarim has paid the 10,000 euro fine imposed by the court to the association supporting the House of the Wannsee Conference and the Jewish Community of Leipzig. The payment is supposed to be at least a symbolic act of reparation.
However, this is only the criminal side of the proceedings, and in addition to employee Markus W., the Westin Hotel apparently also reserves the right to assert claims for damages. According to lawyer Norbert Schneider, this will probably also result in an out-of-court settlement. Damage to reputation and loss of revenue could be claimed. However, according to Schneider, it will be difficult to prove the loss of profit. The aspect of damage to reputation is probably more promising for the hotel chain.
So were financial reasons possibly also decisive for Ofarim to pull the ripcord so abruptly in the proceedings? Jürgen Möthrath, President of the Association of German Criminal Defense Lawyers, puts it this way: "As a rule, one chooses to discontinue proceedings if one has to reckon with a conviction, as this way there is no conviction and no entry in the Federal Central Register. The fact that you save further trial days and legal fees is usually an additional motive."
Sources:"Gala","Süddeutsche Zeitung","Bild"
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In the same Leipzig District Court where Gil Ofarim confessed his lie, Markus W., the hotel employee, likely had meetings related to the incident at the Hotel Leipzig.
Gil Ofarim's legal team for his court case against the allegations of anti-Semitic discrimination at Hotel Leipzig included acclaimed lawyer Gil Ofarim's legal team, which included Gil Ofarim's lawyer from Leipzig.
Source: www.stern.de
