Prosecutor’s office is investigating: suspicion of account manipulation against former Baywa managers

According to the Supervisory Board, the Munich public prosecutor’s office, according to the Supervisory Board, investigated the Fast bankruptcy of the Baywa last year. The investigative authority checks whether board members have incorrectly presented the company’s financial situation in 2023. This reported Supervisory Council leader Gregor Scheller at the beginning of the Annual General Meeting in Munich. “The BayWa will cooperate closely with the public prosecutor.”

Once hung solid, today a renovation case

According to the request, the Munich investigative authority initially did not comment. The Munich -based company, founded in 1923, is the largest German agricultural dealer and is of great importance for agriculture in the south and east of Germany. Other business areas include renewable energies and building materials.

Scheller did not told who the investigation is directed against the 900 shareholders. The annual financial statements 2023 were signed, among other things, by the then CEO Marcus Pöllinger and the CFO Andreas Helber, both of whom have now left the company – or had to leave.

900 million euros depreciation

The BayWa reported a loss of 1.6 billion euros in 2024. One of the main reasons was depreciation of 900 million euros on company participations by the group. In the 2024 annual financial statements, the “non -valuable investments” were corrected to a level of market according to the market, said today’s CEO Frank Hiller, who has only been serving since March 1. He did not work for the BayWa in 2023 and is therefore not affected by the investigation.

The board of directors checks claims for damages against managers and examiners

The investigation is obviously about whether book values ​​for the balance sheet were too high in the previous year. “We will clarify these processes and draw consequences,” Hiller assured the shareholders. Today’s board has initiated its own investigation of the processes that have not yet been completed. According to Hiller’s words, the board also checks claims for damages against former managers and against the auditors, who approved the possible balance in 2023.

This internal investigation also meets the long-time former CEO Klaus Josef Lutz, who, as President of the Bavarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BIHK), is one of the prominent representatives of the economy in the Free State. According to Hiller’s words, the board shows whether Lutz could be reclaimed. As CEO, the BIHK President was the main architect of an international expansion strategy financed on loan until spring 2023, whose failure is one of the relevant causes of the crisis.

Water and pretzels for the shareholders

The mountain of long and short-term bank debts amounted to over five billion euros before the renovation began. In combination with the poor economy, the company could no longer manage interest costs.

Today’s board has already sold several foreign participations. “We want to ingest the BayWa for four billion euros,” said Hiller. The shareholders also felt the austerity course at the general meeting firsthand: Instead of the usual warm lunch, there was only water and pretzels.

Supervisory boards “glued with Pattex”

Sharp criticism came from the small shareholders, especially on long -standing supervisory boards that are still in office and dignity: “Why is the responsible supervisory board sitting stuck on his chairs today like with Pattex?” Asked Daniela Bergdolt, Vice President of the DSW investor community. The lawyer expressly decreased the chairman of the supervisory board, which has only been in office for over a year.

The protection community of investors (SDK) also called for a renewal of the supervisory board. Among the contested members of the control committee are two prominent names: Farmers President Joachim Rukwied and the CSU politician Monika Hohlmeier.