The first of probably many proceedings: in the Commerzialbank case, former board member Martin Pucher is now being tried in Eisenstadt. However, the former bank boss will not appear; he will let his lawyer know.
The first trial in the Commerzialbank case is imminent. From January 23, former board member Martin Pucher (67) must answer for embezzlement in a side case at the Eisenstadt regional court. At least that was the plan – but the former bank boss will not appear at his trial.
Medical report as an excuse
Pucher will not attend his trial for health reasons, his lawyer Norbert Wess said. Pucher is considered seriously ill and unfit to stand trial – this is confirmed by a medical report. However, the defendant states through his defense that he explicitly agrees to a trial in absentia – so the first trial in the Commerzialbank case can still start.
Employees silenced?
The WKStA indictment targets three people – including Pucher – for extortion and embezzlement; the damage amounts to 70,000 euros. The former bank employee is said to have threatened to expose abuses at the bank when his employment was terminated in 2017. For his silence, he allegedly received 70,000 euros in cash from the bank’s funds, including from Pucher.
However, 39 suspects are still being investigated in the Commerzialbank Mattersburg case. The allegations include serious commercial fraud, breach of trust, fraudulent Krida, forgery of accounts, money laundering and various allegations of corruption. With damage of at least 600 million euros.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
