He was considered one of the key figures in the “Cum-Ex” affair. Now the tax attorney Hanno Berger has been arrested in Switzerland. Will he be extradited to Germany?
The lawyer Hanno Berger, wanted as the architect of “Cum-Ex” share deals at the expense of the state treasury, has been arrested in Switzerland according to the judiciary.
“The Swiss authorities have informed us that the defendant at the Wiesbaden Regional Court was arrested in Switzerland on our request for extradition,” said a spokesman for the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor’s Office, confirming a report by the Handelsblatt. An arrest warrant from the Wiesbaden Regional Court was available against Berger.
According to the Swiss Federal Office of Justice, Berger was arrested on July 7 in the canton of Graubünden. During an interrogation he stated that he wanted to oppose the extradition. The extradition proceedings are now pending at the Federal Office of Justice, the office said at the request of the dpa. Appeals can be lodged against a decision from the office. The case could go to the federal court.
Several public prosecutors and courts nationwide have been investigating for years to clear up one of the biggest tax scandals in German post-war history. Since March, a process has been going on before the Wiesbaden district court, which also concerns Berger’s role.
The proceedings against two former employees of Hypovereinsbank (Ref .: 6 KLs – 1111 Js 27125/12) are being negotiated there. The Attorney General’s office accuses the defendants of tax evasion using a complex system. Berger, who denies the allegations, was the “driving” force. Berger did not appear at the trial, however, and the proceedings against him were separated.
Berger’s lawyer Kai Schaffelhuber said at the start of the Wiesbaden trial: “An extradition to Germany is out of the question.” The decisive factor here is how Switzerland assesses the situation. Berger did not appear in Wiesbaden because he had not been properly summoned. Berger’s defender Sebastian Gaßmann added at the time that even the threat of coercion violated Switzerland’s sovereignty. In addition, Berger was “hospitalized,” said Gaßmann with a view to Berger’s health.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
