Seeg mayor partially rejects accusations

Fraud trial - Seeg mayor partially rejects accusations

Markus Berktold, the accused mayor of Seeg in the Allgäu region, has partially denied the accusations against him in the trial for care fraud amounting to millions. The 49-year-old's defense lawyers presented a lengthy statement to the Nuremberg-Fürth Regional Court on Monday, according to a court spokeswoman.

In it, the lawyers denied that their client had acted jointly with the head of a care service with regard to allegations of fraud using the so-called care rescue fund. According to his defense lawyers, Berktold is said to have had no knowledge of this. The accused had basically admitted to the allegations of embezzlement, but at the same time presented a justification for his actions for all the allegations of embezzlement, the spokeswoman said.

The CSU politician has been on trial since Monday last week together with the head of a care service. The public prosecutor's office accuses them of wrongfully receiving up to 2.1 million euros from the so-called care rescue fund during the coronavirus pandemic. They are alleged to have falsified invoices in some cases and billed for services not covered by the rescue fund. The head of the town hall is also on trial for embezzlement: he is alleged to have transferred around 825,000 euros to his private account when winding up an association. In addition, he allegedly failed to claim lease receivables of around 570,000 euros due to the association for no reason.

The head of the care service had heavily incriminated the mayor at the start of the trial. Berktold had known that the invoices were forged and had submitted them himself, he said. The public prosecutor's office also accuses him of using money from the care rescue fund to pay off private debts. The 42-year-old fully admitted to the allegations. The trial could come to an end in January.

Statement from the regional court Statement from the public prosecutor's office on the charges

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1. The trial for care fraud, which amounted to millions of euros, is currently taking place in the Nuremberg-Fürth Regional Court, involving the accused mayor of Seeg in the Allgäu region, Markus Berktold.
2. According to the public prosecutor's office in Bavaria, Berktold and the head of a care service are allegedly responsible for wrongfully receiving up to 2.1 million euros from the care rescue fund during the coronavirus pandemic.
3. During the trial, Berktold's defense lawyers presented a lengthy statement denying joint actions with the head of the care service concerning fraud allegations.
4. The public prosecutor's office in Swabia accuses Berktold of having no knowledge of the alleged fraudulent activities using the care rescue fund.
5. The court spokeswoman stated that the accused had admitted to allegations of embezzlement but also presented justifications for his actions.
6. The criminal proceedings against Berktold and the head of the care service are progressing in Nuremberg, with the trial expected to conclude in January.
7. Meanwhile, in Middle Franconia, processes involving charges of criminality continue, including incidents of embezzlement and falsified invoices related to the so-called care rescue fund.

Source: www.stern.de