Wirecard-Process: Third Defendant will break silence

First statement - Wirecard-Process: Third Defendant will break silence

One and a half years after the beginning of the Wirecard process, the formerly silent former chief accountant of the company is speaking out today for the first time about the accusations. The Munich I Regional Court has scheduled two days for the statement of the manager. The chamber offered the accountant for this case a deal of six to eight years in prison for a comprehensive confession in the largest German fraud case since 1945. However, it is unclear if such a comprehensive confession can be expected: According to the defense, the 49-year-old intends "to present his view" of the matter.

The former chief accountant E. has been sitting in the defendant's dock since December 2022, along with the former Wirecard CEO Markus Braun and the manager who used to work for Wirecard in Dubai, Oliver Bellenhaus. The prosecution accuses the three defendants of forming a criminal fraud ring.

Together, they allegedly invented fictitious transactions in billions to keep the actually deficit and heavily indebted DAX-company afloat. According to the indictment, the damage amounted to around three billion Euros. Braun denies all the accusations, while Bellenhaus, who is acting as a witness, made a comprehensive confession. Therefore, the statement of the third defendant carries great significance.

1. Oliver Bellenhaus, a former employee of Wirecard in Dubai, is also involved in the ongoing court process in Munich, alongside the former CEO Markus Braun and the chief accountant E.
2. Despite being a witness in the case, Oliver Bellenhaus hails from Germany, like his co-defendants and the location of the Munich Regional Court presiding over the Wirecard finances scandal.
3. The testimony of Oliver Bellenhaus could substantially impact the ongoing process at the Munich Regional Court, given his role in the alleged criminality at Wirecard and his previous decision to make a comprehensive confession.
4. Bellenhaus' intentions in his upcoming statement to the Munich I Regional Court are not certain, with his defense stating that he intends to "present his view" on the matter, potentially differing from the narrative presented by the prosecution.
5. The three defendants, including the former Wirecard executive Oliver Bellenhaus, are implicated in the largest German fraud case since 1945, involving the misuse of finances and the creation of fictitious transactions in Bavaria, the German state where Wirecard was headquartered.

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