According to the German newspaper Bild, the German judiciary has demanded the extradition of former Wirecard manager and Austrian Jan Marsalek from Russia. The responsible public prosecutor in Munich had already approached the Russian government with a request for arrest before Easter, the newspaper “Bild” reported today. The prosecutor declined to comment on the report.
According to the paper, investigators are demanding that the Russian judiciary take Marsalek, who has been wanted around the world on suspicion of fraud for two years, from a Moscow safe house provided by the Russian FSB secret service, arrest and extradite him. The. The request contains the exact location where Marsalek escaped in January 2021, with the corresponding coordinates.
BND whereabouts known for months
The newspaper “Bild” reported a week ago that Marsalek had gone into hiding in Moscow. This whereabouts of the former Wirecard board would have been known by the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and the Federal Chancellery last year.
According to Bild, the German embassy in Moscow knew at the time that a sponsor of the German school was doing sinister business. The man reportedly traded the Russian vaccine “Sputnik V”, was in contact with a paramilitary mercenary force and had excellent contacts in Austria – according to “Bild” the man was Marsalek.
The Munich investigators were not informed, but only learned of Marsalek’s whereabouts through the newspaper’s revelations.
Charge: Fraudulent transactions in the billions
The top floor of financial services provider Wirecard is said to have recorded bogus transactions in the billions over the years to keep the company, which was then listed on the DAX, afloat and to scam the loans.
The company declared bankruptcy on June 25, 2020. The main hearing against former Wirecard boss Markus Braun before Munich I District Court is scheduled for autumn, and two other former Wirecard managers are also in the dock. .
Marsalek, who is well connected in Austria, has been wanted since June 22, 2020. He has since gone into hiding and is wanted on an international arrest warrant.