- Individuals facing trial due to infidelity while wearing protective masks
Two individuals, rumored for peddling inferior face masks to the government during the COVID-19 outbreak, are now set for trial at the Nuremberg-Fürth Regional Court. They are accused of committing fraud and attempting to commit fraud. The individuals, hailing from Neumarkt, are believed to have scaled up the purchase of masks from China during the pandemic's height, mainly for the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL).
The Nuremberg-Fürth Regional Court initially dismissed the charges, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to convict these individuals, who had also been remanded in custody. However, the prosecution's plea against this decision was validated at the Higher Regional Court. The trial will commence on September 12, with the 16th Criminal Chamber scheduling trial dates as late as December 12.
As per the indictment, around 50% of the Chinese-origin masks intended for hospital and disaster relief organization distribution didn't meet the agreed-upon quality standards. The defendants are suspected of, at the very least, turning a blind eye to this issue. The Regional Court initially believed the fraction of faulty masks to be significantly lower than the prosecution, casting doubt on the fraud claims.
However, the Higher Regional Court now finds the evidence sufficient to raise suspicion. The prosecution approximates the financial loss to the LGL at approximately two million euros. Moreover, the two men are accused of selling another 12,000 masks to pharmacies and other customers after being instructed by the Chinese manufacturer to discard the shipment due to doubtful quality.
The two individuals facing trial at the Nuremberg-Fürth Regional Court are allegedly men and boys from Neumarkt, who are charged with defrauding the government by providing inferior face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite initially being released due to insufficient evidence, the prosecution's appeal led to a reversal of the decision, and the trial involving men and boys will soon commence.
