Former FDP politician under accusation for tax evasion, with an estimated sum of 38 million euros avoided. - Allegations arise that a previous member of FDP misappropriated approximately €38 million.
A long-serving FDP local politician from Viersen is set to stand trial in September at Mönchengladbach Regional Court, accused of tax evasion amounting to nearly €38 million. The accused politician, who was also a car dealer, is a recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit and an honorary knight of the Order of Malta.
The politician, aged 68, is alleged to have been involved in a complex tax evasion scheme that encompassed both domestic and international trade in vehicles. The details of how the investigators uncovered the car dealer's alleged evasive practices were not disclosed.
The politician's lawyer, Björn Hühne, confirmed the trial. The politician has made a full statement and contributed to the clarification of the case. The politician withdrew from local politics last year for personal and health reasons.
In addition to the car dealer's alleged involvement in tax evasion, it is also alleged that fake transactions involving cars that did not exist were part of the scheme. The car dealer, who also served on the county council, was taken into custody last May.
Tax evasion schemes, such as those involving fake transactions, are often uncovered through a combination of investigative techniques and tools. These include financial analysis, whistleblowers, audits and compliance checks, international cooperation, digital forensics, and public and media investigations.
The trial against the politician will begin in September. The court has approved the indictment for trial. The politician's statement is "in line with the indictment," which can be seen as a confession. The city and county councils were not specified in the information provided.
- Despite his extended service in local politics, the accused politician, who is also an honorary knight of the Order of Malta, is facing a trial in September for alleged involvement in a complex tax evasion scheme amounting to nearly €38 million, including fake transactions involving non-existent vehicles, nearly four decades after receiving the Federal Cross of Merit.
- The upcoming trial, which will scrutinize the politician's alleged tax evasion and questionable business practices such as vocational training institutions and vehicle trade, could potentially impact the general-news narrative, crime-and-justice sector, and finance-related discussions within various communities, particularly the local business scene due to his past position as a car dealer.
