Fugitive Wirecard executive Marsalek contacts German court through lawyer

Wirecard AG

18/07/2023 17:08

MUNICH, July 18 (Reuters) - Former Wirecard  WDIG.H 
board member Jan Marsalek, who has been on the run since the
implosion of the German payments company in 2020, has contacted
a Munich court through his lawyer, according to the court and
the public prosecutor's office.
    The turn of events comes amid a trial of Wirecard's former
chief executive and marks the first known official communication
from Marsalek, Wirecard's former chief operating officer, whose
exact whereabouts have been unknown for several years.
    German police have been conducting an international search
and had issued an arrest warrant for Marsalek, whom they accuse
of "fraud in the billions".
    Wirecard filed for insolvency in 2020, owing creditors
almost $4 billion, after disclosing a 1.9 billion euro ($2.13
billion) hole in its accounts that its auditor EY said was the
result of sophisticated global fraud.
    Spokespeople for the public prosecutor's office and the
court confirmed on Tuesday that a letter from Marsalek's lawyer
had been received, but did not comment on the content of the
letter. 
    WirtschaftsWoche first reported the communication.
    ($1 = 0.8910 euros)

 (Reporting by Alexander Huebner, writing by Tom Sims; Editing
by Bernadette Baum)
 ((Tom.Sims@thomsonreuters.com; +49 30 220 133 645;))