The court is now pushing for speed in the ongoing criminal trial against former Wirecard CEO Markus Braun and two other defendants. According to a court decision reported by the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (Wednesday edition), the court is urging the focus on a total of ten central charges. Otherwise, a verdict “is not to be expected before 2026”.
Too many of the allegations in the nearly 500-page indictment have not yet been thoroughly examined. At least some of them are likely to “not have a significant impact” in the end, according to the court’s assessment. Therefore, the judges suggest concentrating on a few, but significant, charges.
The court, however, cannot shorten the indictment itself, as this is the responsibility of the prosecution, in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code. In response to a query from the newspaper on Tuesday, the prosecution stated that it would “examine this judicial recommendation” and provide a statement at the court in January.