Former mayor of Hettlingen sentenced in Zurich
Published: Wednesday, Mar 13th 2024, 21:00
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The District Court of Zurich sentenced the former mayor of Hettlingen near Winterthur on Wednesday for multiple thefts, among other things. The judges handed down a prison sentence of 3.5 years.
The accused allegedly stole over one million francs from a client's apartment in Zurich on two occasions. The 68-year-old committed the crimes in his capacity as a trustee.
As the judge explained, the accused was present on the days in question. Despite her advanced age, the injured party could be believed. There were no indications of mental impairment at the time of the crime.
No recognizable friendship
During a house search, some of the money and coins were found in the trustee's home. "I didn't steal anything," the accused claimed in court on Wednesday. He said in vain that the wealthy lady had given him a gift out of gratitude.
He had only worked for her professionally, there was no friendship, the judge stated. Why she should have been so grateful to him that she gave him so much is not clear. He had also hidden the money at home without informing his wife. There were too many inconsistencies, "the gift is incomprehensible".
The court assumed that the accused stole gold on one occasion and 800,000 francs in cash on another. The theft of a further 200,000 francs could not be proven.
Covid credit fraud also committed
The sentence also included convictions for fraud and forgery. These related to a company of which the accused was a board member. Among other things, he had overstated his turnover in order to obtain a higher Covid loan. The court imposed a fine of 120 times 250 francs for mismanagement in connection with the company.
The ruling can still be appealed to the High Court.
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