Does Middelhoff still have to go to jail?

T Homas Middelhoff, the former CEO of Karstadt-Quelle and Bertelsmann, is suspected of stealing millions in his personal bankruptcy. This would have disadvantaged its creditors. His lawyer Hartmut Fromm should have helped him. Fromm and Middelhoff deny the allegations.

Middelhoff's insolvency administrator, Thorsten Fuest, sued Fromm's law firm in Bielefeld district court for an amount of 5.1 million euros. For this reason, prosecutor Bielefeld opened a preliminary investigation against Middelhoff and Fromm. This confirmed the prosecutor Bielefeld this Wednesday. A prosecution spokesman was reportedly investigated on suspicion of bankruptcy.

Middelhoff himself rejected the allegations. "I have not helped millions.I am completely without property today.The truth is this: I have tried to operate the badet protection – within the legal limits. But it did not work, everything went away, "he told the German press agency

who was later advised by three law firms and badumed that everything was fine. "If anything has been misjudged or judged by me, I have a responsibility." He was not informed of the opening of the new investigation. was an absurdity that the press here knows more than the person concerned, he criticized.

imprisonment of up to five years

It is indisputable that in the years preceding the private bankruptcy more and more badets middelhoff Flossing, that his lawyer Fromm controls, reports "Süddeutsche Zeitung" and "Westdeutscher Rundfunk". In return, these companies Summers regularly paid Middelhoff money to finance his private life and legal and legal fees.

Fuest was appointed insolvency administrator in 2015 on the private fortune of the former Arcandor. Middelhoff was in prison at the time and in November 2014 he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for disloyalty and tax evasion. In November 2017, he was later released.

According to the article of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", the complaint is based on a report of the law firm Taylor-Wessing. On behalf of the Insolvency Administrator, she reviewed Middelhoff's capital transfers over the years 2011 to 2015. The experts concluded that the former manager had systematically transferred his private badets to third parties, with the help of Fromm. Perhaps Middelhoff is guilty of an offense of bankruptcy and Fromm is guilty of it.

Clause 283 of the Criminal Code on bankruptcy provides for a term of imprisonment of up to one year. five years for debtors who, in the event of insolvency, hide. In particularly serious cases, the sentence may even be ten years.

The fact that Middelhoff filed a private bankruptcy petition in 2015, many creditors suspected that he had already experienced financial distress and therefore systematically transferred from him. money. Management consultant Roland Berger states in an affidavit that Middelhoff told him in January 2014 that he was preparing for a personal bankruptcy. Middelhoff owes Berger 7 million euros. The Bochum prosecutor's office had also ruled on the case against Middelhoff and Fromm, but he had terminated the proceedings. The Bielefeld investigators are checking again.