Processes - Third defendant in Wirecard trial apologizes
The third defendant in the Wirecard case broke his silence on the 138th hearing day. The head of accounting, E., admitted at the beginning of his two-day statement that he had made mistakes which he regretted and wanted to apologize for. However, he also emphasized that he had not personally benefited and had always wanted what was best for the company. He also mentioned that he had only been slightly involved in many things and had relied on the specialized departments.
"I had many topics on my plate and felt like a juggler, so focused on keeping all the balls in the air that none fell down," described E. his activity. At that time, he had not had the time to deal with the individual balls in more detail. But he now realizes that he should have stopped and done so.
Not the strength to question everything
In summary, E. painted a picture of poor personnel equipment, poor processes, and overwhelming workload. "It was always the case that two people wanted something from me at the same time," he described his typical workday. Particularly during the annual balances, there was a lot of time pressure. "One doesn't have the time and the strength to question everything. One has to trust the specialized departments," said E. Their answers were often passed on to the auditors. "If they were satisfied, we were too."
Regarding the third-party business that played a central role in the collapse of Wirecard, E. initially remained silent. He narrowed his expectations at the beginning of his statement, however. This was not the focus of his work, and he had only received many information about it from hearsay. He could only tell stories "from years of desk work" at Wirecard.
Wirecard went into insolvency in June 2020 because 1.9 billion Euros that had been debited to trust accounts could no longer be found. The indictment accuses the three defendants, as well as the absconded former sales manager Jan Marsalek and other accomplices, of inventing billions in sales to keep the deficit Dax-group afloat. In the since December 2022 ongoing trial, E. had remained silent until now. Braun has denied all charges, and the regular defendant Bellenhaus testifies as a crown witness and accuses the two co-defendants.
- During the Fraud trial in Germany, E., the third defendant in the Wirecard case, admitted to mistakes he made but assured that he had not personally benefited from any criminality related to finances.
- The trial in Munich, Bavaria, revealed that E., the head of accounting at Wirecard, felt overwhelmed with work and had limited involvement in many things, often relying on specialized departments.
- Regarding the third-party business implicated in Wirecard's collapse, E. explained that he had only received information about it through hearsay and was not directly involved in its negotiations.4.The Wirecard case, currently ongoing in Munich's court, accuses E., along with other defendants, of inventing billions in sales to cover the company's deficit and keep it afloat in the stock market.
- Despite the intense pressure during the annual balances, E. admitted that he had not had the strength to question everything and often relied on the answers provided by the specialized departments to ensure compliance with auditors.
