The manager went into hiding about three years ago.
(Photo: dpa)
Dusseldorf Former Wirecard board member Jan Marsalek commented in a several-page letter on the Munich trial about the billion-euro fraud at the former Dax group. The district court Munich I and the Munich public prosecutor’s office have confirmed this to the Handelsblatt. First, the “Wirtschaftswoche” reported on the document.
The letter was apparently written by lawyer Frank Eckstein on behalf of his client. Wirecard collapsed in June 2020 after the payment service provider had to admit that alleged trust assets of 1.9 billion euros were missing. Marsalek has been on the run ever since and is believed to be in Russia.
Marsalek is apparently following the Munich trial in the largest fraud case in German post-war history with keen interest. It is unclear why he is now venturing out of cover. What is certain is that his letter was received by the 4th Criminal Chamber at an explosive time – and that his former boss should be particularly pleased.
In Munich, Wirecard’s former CEO Markus Braun, the former Dubai governor Oliver Bellenhaus and the ex-chief accountant Stephan von Erffa are accused. In the letter, Marsalek not only commented on his former companions, but also on the crux of the matter: the alleged third-party business.
According to Braun, Wirecard processed payment transactions in countries without its own licenses with the help of local partners and received commissions for this. To secure the transactions, Wirecard allegedly deposited the 1.9 billion euros with two Philippine banks that are still untraceable today.
Jan Marsalek jumps to the side of Markus Braun
Both the public prosecutor and the Wirecard insolvency administrator Michael Jaffé assume that the business and the billions never existed. Bellenhaus admitted the multi-billion dollar fraud as a key witness. Braun, on the other hand, asserts that the third-party business existed and presents himself as a victim of a gang led by Marsalek.
His defense attorney Alfred Dierlamm submitted more than 400 applications for evidence last week, with which he wants to substantiate his client’s theory.
According to Handelsblatt information, Marsalek also insists in his letter that there was third-party business. He accuses the star witness Bellenhaus of having lied several times. The fugitive manager’s defense attorney, the court and the prosecutor’s office declined to comment on the details. However, Marsalek is said to have indicated that he intends to take a stand again at a later date.
More: Wirecard insolvency administrator believes counterfeiting has been proven