Wirecard manager knew nothing about third-party business
In the Munich Wirecard trial, a former manager of the scandalous company that collapsed in 2020 has at least indirectly provided the prosecution with material for its accusations against former CEO Markus Braun. On Wednesday, the judges questioned the 44-year-old about three "third-party partner companies" through which a Wirecard fraud gang involving Braun is alleged to have booked sham transactions worth billions. "No," the former salesman answered several times when asked whether he was aware of any business relationships with these three "TPA partners".
Wirecard processed credit card payments as a payment service provider at the interface between retail and finance. According to former CEO Braun, the three third-party partner companies Payeasy, Senjo and Al Alam provided this service through Wirecard in countries where the former DAX-listed company did not have its own licenses.
The presiding judge Markus Födisch asked the witness whether Wirecard sales had ever referred customers to these three third-party partners. "No," replied the 44-year-old. "Did you know who was responsible?" "No." "Did you know of any offices that dealt with the TPA business?" "No."
However, the witness, who now works as a freelance consultant, did not make any direct accusations against Braun or one of the two co-defendants - and also emphasized that he had not become suspicious at the time: "I did not draw the conclusion that one might draw today."
According to the indictment, the TPA business did not exist. Braun, however, who has been in custody for over three years, has emphasized since the start of the trial that the TPA business was genuine, but that billions in proceeds were diverted by the real perpetrators.
For their part, the Austrian manager and his defense lawyers are accusing Oliver Bellenhaus, one of the accused key witnesses. After 11 months and 77 days of hearings, the trial has not brought any evidence in either direction to light.
In the largest fraud case in German post-war history, Braun, Bellenhaus and the former Wirecard chief accountant are accused of suspected commercial gang fraud. According to the indictment, they are alleged to have falsified Wirecard's balance sheets since 2015 and defrauded lending banks of 3.1 billion euros.
Despite Wirecard's services involving processing credit card payments, the former manager was unaware of any financial dealings with the three third-party partners Payeasy, Senjo, and Al Alam. Furthermore, during the processes of the Wirecard trial, the former manager did not have any knowledge of any offices handling the TPA business.
Source: www.dpa.com
