- The legal proceedings against the ex-theatre leaders in Trier have concluded.
The charges against Karl Sibelius, previous head of Trier Theater, for financial mismanagement have been dropped by the Trier Regional Court following a €10,000 fine. Presiding judge Armin Hardt declared that Sibelius, aged 55, is primarily an artist, not a financial manager. The question now arises as to whether any charges could potentially be considered criminal. It is undeniable that there was inadequate financial oversight during his time at Trier Theater.
The court chose to toss out the case due to minimal wrongdoing. Both the prosecution and defense concurred with this decision. Hardt also pointed out that the allegations date back a while and Sibelius was charged in early 2022.
Not criminally responsible
The indictment levied accusations against Sibelius for overspending the allocated budgets for three extravagant theater shows from March to November 2016, despite recognizing the pre-existing deficit. This was argued to have violated his responsibility to oversee the financial resources efficiently and frugally, thereby inflicting significant financial losses on the city.
Sibelius's legal representative, Andreas Ammer, confirmed that the main accusations were valid. However, the resulting legal judgment was faulty. The situation was not that of illegal and punishable embezzlement. Sibelius had inherited Trier Theater during challenging times and sought to create high-quality theater.
New beginning in Linz
Sibelius was entrusted with both the artistic and commercial management of the theater. Given the magnitude of his duties, it ultimately "became too much for him," explained Ammer. Trier discontinued its partnership with Sibelius at the end of 2016 after about a year. He revealed that Sibelius had not secured any further assignments post-Trier, had been unwell for an extended period, and was now back in action in Linz, among other things, as a psychotherapist. "Creatively, the ship had sailed," he added.
The following is added to the case's resolution: The €10,000 fine and dropped charges are considered a acknowledgment of Sibelius's artistic focus, not his financial mismanagement skills. Despite the overspending, it was not deemed a case of embezzlement, but rather a product of the challenging circumstances and Sibelius's focus on high-quality theater.
