Günter Netzer declines participation in video interrogations.
In the ongoing summer fairytale trial, former German soccer star and businessman Günter Netzer may have shed light on the controversial case of millions paid by the DFB to FIFA, but he has decided against doing so. The court is disheartened by this decision. It remains unclear what part Netzer played in the scandal surrounding the money sent to FIFA.
Netzer also declined the option of testifying as a witness at the Frankfurt Regional Court via video link, as revealed by the presiding judge, Eva-Marie Distler. He had expressed his reluctance to participate in a video hearing, she said. Unfortunately, the court cannot force him to change his mind as he resides in Switzerland.
The trial involves former top officials of the German Football Association - Theo Zwanziger, Wolfgang Niersbach and Horst R. Schmidt - who are facing charges of tax evasion in this high-profile case. They allegedly misrepresented a payment of 6.7 million euros made to FIFA in 2005 as a business expense on their 2006 tax return. This deduction reduced their taxes by approximately 13.7 million euros during the World Cup year. All three defendants strongly deny the allegations.
Netzer's involvement in the DFB's dealings with FIFA is still uncertain. Famous for his time on the football field, the 79-year-old has been deeply involved in soccer business for decades. Initially, he was scheduled to appear before the regional court on Thursday. His sudden refusal, which lacked explanation, was declared the day before the hearing began. As it turns out, he will not travel to the courtroom either. "Everyone needs to make their own interpretations from this situation," said Distler.
The court cannot compel Netzer to appear, being a resident of Switzerland. Switzerland has not yet responded to any requests for legal assistance. Meanwhile, former FIFA president Joseph Blatter and the ex-FIFA Secretary General Urs Linsi have agreed to testify via video link. The court has also scheduled two other prominent witnesses for July 11 - former DFB president Fritz Keller and Markus Höfl, a former manager for the late Franz Beckenbauer.
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Source: www.ntv.de
