Markus Braun, the former CEO of Wirecard, denies any involvement in the fraud scandal surrounding the German fintech company. Braun was cleared to speak for the first time in court today. He did not confess, but stressed how Wirecard grew under his leadership, says German correspondent Derk Marseille.
In addition to Braun, co-defendant Oliver Bellenhaus was also tried today. He was responsible for a branch of Wirecard in Dubai. During the case, the two prominent people mainly turned against each other, Marseille tells BNR.
“The transfer of responsibility has continued quietly today. Everyone says they are only responsible for a small part of the accounting. Many things happened non-verbally during the hearing: the suspects exchanged angry looks and shrugged their shoulders when they heard the allegations,’ says Marseille.
Co-defendant missing
Meanwhile, another co-suspect, former pilot Jan Marsalek, is still missing. The Austrian is on Interpol’s international wanted list. Investigations by Bellingcat and Der Spiegel showed that he fled to Belarus shortly after setting off as a driver. Marsalek would now be in Russia.
The sentence on the case is still long: 100 days have been foreseen for the mega-trial. According to Marseille, however, there are no very high penalties. At most, it will lead to high fines for those involved. Germany does not have high penalties for fraud cases.
According to Marseille, this process mirrors Germany itself: ‘If anything has become clear, it is that the German system has failed on all fronts. Investors were told the company could be trusted, but there was a lack of stock exchange and government oversight.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
