Summer fairytale trial: Proceedings against Niersbach dropped
Published: Monday, Aug 26th 2024, 13:10
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After a long break in the summer fairytale trial, former German Football Association President Wolfgang Niersbach no longer has to stand trial. Only his predecessor Theo Zwanziger remains in the proceedings concerning dubious money flows for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Wolfgang Niersbach left courtroom 9 at Frankfurt District Court without any visible emotion after the proceedings in the summer fairytale trial against him were dropped. A fine of 25,000 euros imposed by the court in favor of charitable organizations marked the end of the World Cup affair for the former DFB boss, who had fallen deeply as a result of the scandal surrounding the 2006 World Cup that became public in 2015.
"This is not an acquittal. The suspicion still exists, even if the guilt is to be regarded as minor," said presiding judge Eva-Marie Distler about the discontinuation of the proceedings against Niersbach on suspicion of tax evasion in a particularly serious case. This is initially valid for one month. If Niersbach pays the fine by September 9, the trial will be over for him for good.
This should only be a formality, as the 73-year-old agreed to the agreement, as did the public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt. The authorities had considered imposing a fine of 58,000 euros. Nevertheless, senior public prosecutor Jesco Kümmel described the decision as "pertinent and justified".
World Cup affair triggered a deep fall for Niersbach
Distler justified the agreement with the fact that Niersbach "is possibly the only one who was not explicitly involved in the events". In addition, the former DFB President had fallen the hardest as a result of the scandal. "It was a personal Waterloo for him. He lost all his offices. The consequences were significantly greater than for the other defendants," said the judge.
Before the summer break in the tax trial, the judge had already ordered the separation of the proceedings against former DFB General Secretary Horst R. Schmidt for health reasons. In addition to Niersbach and Schmidt, former DFB President Theo Zwanziger is also a defendant in the trial.
The court had not proposed a deal to him, as the 79-year-old was aiming for an acquittal, according to Distler. This would only be possible at the end of the trial. "After assessing the evidence taken so far, the chamber is therefore currently not considering dropping the case," said Distler.
Niersbach lawyer: "No admission of guilt"
The former top officials of the German Football Association (DFB) are alleged to have unlawfully declared a payment of 6.7 million euros made to FIFA in April 2005 as a business expense in their tax return for 2006, thereby reducing the tax for the World Cup year by around 13.7 million euros. All three defendants strictly deny the accusation.
"For nine years, Mr. Niersbach has had to experience how his professional life's work has been denigrated," said Niersbach's lawyer Renate Verjans at the start of the trial in March. Her client is now taking the opportunity to end "the burdens for him and his family".
She also reiterated that the dismissal of the proceedings in exchange for a fine was "not an admission of guilt" by Niersbach. The now 73-year-old was president of the DFB from 2012 to 2015 after a steady rise through the ranks before resigning due to the World Cup scandal.
Blatter as a witness
FIFA forwarded the 6.7 million euros to Robert Louis-Dreyfus just one day after it was received. In 2002, the French entrepreneur had transferred a loan of ten million Swiss francs to an account held by Franz Beckenbauer. This sum later ended up in a company account of the then FIFA Vice President, Mohamed bin Hammam, in Qatar. The purpose of the money is still unclear.
Former FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and ex-DFB Presidents Fritz Keller and Reinhard Grindel are also expected to testify in court.
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