process - Former school principal charged with embezzlement
As the school administrator in Esens, Ostfriesland (Wittmund district), a man is suspected to have embezzled nearly half a million Euro in public funds over a period of two years and transferred it to his own account. The trial against the 58-year-old began at the Aurich District Court with the reading of the indictment, according to a Court Spokesperson. The man is no longer employed in the education sector, as the Hanover Cultural Ministry confirmed upon inquiry.
The Public Prosecutor's Office in Aurich has charged the man with embezzlement in a total of 72 cases. This is alleged to have occurred between 2020 and 2022. The individual amounts reportedly ranged from 25 to 25,000 Euro, according to the Court Spokesperson. The total amount the man is accused of keeping for himself is approximately 490,000 Euro, as per the indictment.
The defendant made a statement at the first trial hearing. However, this statement was made in private, as a Court Spokesperson noted, due to the involvement of the defendant's personal affairs. No details about the content were therefore disclosed.
Bank reports suspicion of money laundering
The investigators reportedly discovered the financial transactions on the man's account based on information from the bank. The bank had identified irregularities and reported a suspicion of money laundering.
Due to the need to meticulously trace numerous account transactions, the investigation was reportedly extensive. Given the scale of the offense, the spokesperson for the authority stated that it should be considered a particularly serious case of embezzlement. If convicted, the man faces a prison sentence of between six months and ten years. The Public Prosecutor also requested that the embezzled funds be confiscated.
The court has scheduled several hearing dates. Witnesses and an expert witness are expected to testify. A judgment could therefore be expected around the beginning of September.
The case of embezzlement is being handled by the Public Prosecutor's Office in Lower Saxony's Aurich region. The Judge Speaker presiding over the Process (Court) in Hanover is overseeing the trial. The Dishonesty of the man, a former school administrator, has led to charges of money laundering and criminality. The Cultus Ministry in Hannover confirmed his termination from his position in the education sector due to these allegations.
