The manager went into hiding about three years ago.
(Photo: dpa)
Dusseldorf After years, there is apparently a sign of life from the fugitive ex-board member of the insolvent payment processor Wirecard: As the “Wirtschaftswoche” reported on Tuesday, Jan Marsalek has written to the district court of Munich I via his defense attorney and to the current criminal proceedings in the matter of Wirecard taken a stand.
This was confirmed by spokesmen for the public prosecutor’s office and the Munich I district court to Wirtschaftswoche. However, they declined to comment on the content of the letter when asked by the magazine.
According to information from Wirtschaftswoche, the former sales director Marsalek did not specifically address the allegations made against him in the document. However, he probably commented on the company’s alleged business (third-party business) operated by Wirecard partners. He is said to have given it to be understood that this – contrary to what the public prosecutor’s office claimed – existed.
According to the report, Marsalek also commented on the different parties to the procedure in the document. Marsalek is said to have primarily incriminated Oliver Bellenhaus, reports the magazine, citing legal circles. Bellenhaus was Wirecard’s governor in Dubai for a long time.
After the company collapsed, he admitted to the public prosecutor’s office that he had been accused of fraud and heavily incriminated his former colleagues, former CEO Markus Braun and former accounting chief Stephan von Erffa. Marsalek is said to have given the court to understand that Bellenhaus was not telling the truth on several points, the report goes on to say.
Jan Marsalek’s motive is unclear
Florian Eder, Bellenhaus’ lawyer, did not want to comment on the content of Marsalek’s letter when asked by Wirtschaftswoche, but explained: “You can write a lot and say a lot, but you don’t have to believe everything.”
What specifically motivated Marsalek to turn to the court now is unclear. However, the letter suggests that he is following the course of the process. In the letter, he is said to have indicated that he might comment again at a later date.
The Wirecard case has been under discussion at the Munich I District Court for several months. The public prosecutor’s office accuses the former CEO Braun and two other executives of, among other things, gang fraud.
They are said to have invented business with third-party partners, which most recently accounted for 50 percent of Wirecard’s sales and all of Wirecard’s consolidated profit. The profits from this deal were allegedly deposited in escrow accounts. Most recently, around two billion euros should have been there. However, when it turned out that the accounts were empty, Wirecard went bankrupt. Marsalek has since gone into hiding.
More: Wirecard insolvency administrator believes counterfeiting has been proven