Fine: Michael Wendler has to pay 15,000 euros

The district court is convinced that Wendler aided and abetted the thwarting of an enforcement order, a court spokeswoman said on Wednesday. The verdict, which was announced on Tuesday, is not yet final.

In a video message distributed via the short message service X (formerly Twitter), Wendler then once again asserted his innocence. According to the ruling, the rights to more than 150 of his own titles were transferred to him almost ten years ago. The court was convinced that the original rights holder wanted to prevent the title and the associated income from being lost in an impending foreclosure. The creditors of the original rights holder suffered considerable damage as a result of the transfer.

In the trial, the public prosecutor’s office demanded a suspended prison sentence for Wendler, and the musician’s lawyer demanded an acquittal, said the court spokeswoman. In his video message, Wendler said of the allegations: “Honebüchen, totally crazy, and of course I am completely innocent in this matter.” After all, he composed the tracks himself – there can be no illegal transfer of assets for something that belongs to him.

For the court, however, it was not important whether Wendler had composed the tracks himself – but rather that he did not own the rights to them until they were overwritten. It sentenced him to pay 150 daily rates of 100 euros each. If the verdict becomes final, Wendler would be considered to have a criminal record, said the court spokeswoman.

The musician, who comes from Dinslaken but has lived in the USA for years, never appeared in the trial himself. The court even issued an arrest warrant in 2021 to have him presented in the courtroom – but this was revoked in the next instance as disproportionate. Wendler was represented by his lawyer in the further process.

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