Processes - Wirecard: Third defendant wants to break silence
In the Munich Wirecard process, a milestone has been reached after over one and a half years: The third defendant E., who has been silent since the beginning of the trial in December 2022, will testify for the first time on the charges on July 17. The presiding judge Markus Födisch announced this at the beginning of the 134th court session.
The former chief accountant of the collapsed DAX company had confirmed his personal details at the start of the trial but had not spoken a word about the matter in question during the course of the mammoth proceedings. The IV. Criminal Chamber of the Munich Regional Court, under Födisch's leadership, has indicated a prison sentence of six to eight years for E. in exchange for a confession. Now, E. intends to speak extensively: The chamber has planned two days for his interrogation.
E. intends "to describe his view of things"
It is still unclear whether the former chief accountant in his statement will admit or deny the accusations. "Our client has decided to contribute to the clarification of the matter," said defense attorney Sabine Stetter. He will "describe his view of things," and is ready to answer questions from the court and other procedural parties.
The main accusation against E., the former Wirecard board chairman Markus Braun, and the manager who worked for Wirecard in Dubai until 2020, Oliver Bellenhaus, is commercial fraud: The three, along with several accomplices, allegedly invented billions in revenues to keep their actually deficit business afloat.
The Munich Public Prosecutor's Office values the damage caused by the fraud at around three billion euros in their indictment. So far, statements have been made against statements: The defendant Braun, who has been in pretrial detention since four years, denies all allegations. Bellenhaus, on the other hand, has admitted most of the charges and heavily accused Braun. The Austrian manager has repeatedly accused Bellenhaus of lying through his lawyers.
Braun's statement could have consequences for his fate: If the accountant speaks extensively against the accusations, it would worsen the situation for Braun in the trial. If E. refutes significant parts of the accusations, it could support Braun's argumentation.
The presiding judge expects a comprehensive confession from E.
The course of the proceedings so far does not indicate that the chamber believes Braun's argumentation: He is the only defendant who remains in pretrial detention, while the state witness Bellenhaus came under conditional release in February. E. was already released from pretrial detention months before the trial began.
The chairman of Födisch has clearly expressed in the past few weeks that he expects a far-reaching plea bargain from E.s. Judge, E.s defense attorney, and the prosecution have already held two legal discussions about a possible deal in the past few weeks. The result was the sentence frame mentioned by Födisch, which ranges from six to eight years in prison. Defense attorney Stetter referred to another possible deal as "thinkable".
- E.'s decision to testify marks a significant milestone in the Wirecard process, which has been under investigation by the public prosecutor's office in Germany for over one and a half years.
- The former chief accountant's silence during the initial stages of the trial raised questions about his involvement in the alleged commercial fraud, but his intention to speak extensively could provide clarity.
- Markus Födisch, the presiding judge in the case, has indicated that E.'s statement could have implications for the defendants, including Markus Braun, who has been in pretrial detention since four years.
- The services provided by Wirecard, a collapsed DAX company, are at the heart of the criminal trial, with accusations of multi-billion euro fraud affecting the finances of the company and its clients.
- The defense attorney for E., Sabine Stetter, has stated that her client intends to describe his view of the situation and is ready to answer questions from the court and other procedural parties.
- The process has so far seen conflicting statements from the defendants: Markus Braun denies all allegations, while Oliver Bellenhaus, the state witness, has heavily accused Braun and has been released from pretrial detention.
- The trial in Munich, Germany, has garnered attention both domestically and internationally, with reports of the Wirecard case highlighting the importance of financial integrity and the consequences of fraudulent activities in businesses.
