The former Wirecard CEO wants to describe his “very personal perceptions” and the history of the company.
(Photo: dpa)
Munich In the criminal proceedings surrounding the billion-dollar bankruptcy of the payment processor Wirecard, the main defendant Markus Braun rejected the prosecution’s allegations of fraud. “I had no knowledge of counterfeiting or embezzlement,” said the former CEO on Monday before the Munich Regional Court. “I didn’t form a gang with anyone either,” emphasized Braun in his first statement on the allegations since the trial began in December.
He always assumed that the business with third-party partners existed in Asia and that the funds were in trust accounts worth billions. He had relied on proper bookkeeping and auditing.
June 18, 2020, when a EUR 1.9 billion hole in Wirecard’s balance sheet became known, was “a day of deepest regret” for shareholders and employees and a “day of pain”, said the Austrian , who ran the company for 18 years.
Braun spoke for the first time in detail in the process. The public prosecutor accuses him of accounting fraud, market manipulation, breach of trust and gang fraud. She relies on the co-defendant star witness Oliver Bellenhaus, who has heavily incriminated Braun. According to the manager who worked for Wirecard in Dubai until 2020, Braun was a dominating boss who was fully involved in the billion dollar fraud. Braun’s defense attorney has dismissed the allegations as lies.
Braun has been in custody since the financial group collapsed two and a half years ago and has only briefly spoken publicly twice since then. In a Bundestag investigative committee, he presented himself as a victim of fraud. At the beginning of the trial in December, he had only confirmed his personal details.
On Monday, Braun announced that he wanted to share his “very personal perceptions” and the history of the company. The district court in Munich has scheduled several days for Braun’s testimony and questioning.
More: “Liar” – Braun’s defense attacks Wirecard key witnesses