Mayor stands trial for million-dollar fraud
A mayor is on trial in Franconia. He is alleged to have commercially diverted money from the rescue fund in the care sector for private purposes during the pandemic. In doing so, he is said to have deliberately used his political office.
The trial of Markus Berktold, the mayor of the municipality of Seeg in Ostallgäu, who is alleged to have siphoned off millions of euros from the care rescue fund created during the coronavirus pandemic, has begun at the Nuremberg-Fürth Regional Court. In the proceedings, the public prosecutor's office is accusing the politician of commercial fraud and embezzlement as well as unauthorized possession of weapons.
Berktold, who is in custody, is said to have repeatedly referred to his position as mayor and the trustworthiness associated with this office to employees of the care insurance companies. The purpose of this is said to have been to get the money more quickly.
The local politician is alleged to have unlawfully billed services totaling around 2.1 million euros from the care rescue fund together with a care service manager, who is also on trial, in the period from 2020 to 2022 in order to eliminate liquidity bottlenecks in his companies. In some cases, he is alleged to have created fictitious invoices.
Possession of weapons without authorization
Berktold has been charged with embezzlement because, as liquidator of an association, he allegedly transferred a total of 825,000 euros to his private account and did not assert lease claims to which the association was entitled in the amount of over 570,000 euros for no reason. During a raid, Berktold was also found to have a rifle, a pistol and ammunition without the necessary permits.
The co-accused care service manager and his wife are alleged to have unlawfully claimed benefits amounting to a further 270,000 euros from the care rescue fund to pay off private debts. The proceedings against the wife were severed for health reasons. A total of eleven trial days have been scheduled until January 11.
The international community is calling for transparency and accountability in the ongoing trial of Markus Berktold, the accused mayor from Bavaria, who is facing charges of fraud and embezzlement during the Corona crisis. Berktold's alleged actions, which involved misusing his political office and unauthorized possession of weapons, have raised concerns within the care system and beyond. Despite these severe allegations, Berktold continues to maintain his innocence and fears for his safety, citing threats linked to the processes surrounding his case.
Source: www.ntv.de
