Mammoth
“Cross-thinking” boss Ballweg Ballweg from fraud accusation acquitted
He was the face of “transverse thinking” in pandemic: Michael Ballweg had to answer for allegations of fraud. The trial against him now ends with a bang.
The process against “transverse thinking” founder Michael Ballweg has ended with a partial acquittal. The Stuttgart District Court freedomly spoke the figure of the protests against state corona measures of the accusation of fraud, but also guilty it because of tax evasion – and warned him. The judgment is not yet final.
Ballweg had to answer to court since autumn 2024. The public prosecutor accused him of raising more than one million euros for “transverse thinking” via public donations and misrepresenting the supporters about the actual use of the funds. He is said to have used more than half a million euros for private purposes. According to files, expenditure for “transverse thinking” of 843,111.68 euros for the movement is documented.
Charges demanded three years in prison
Ballweg defense lawyer rejected the allegations from the start. The entrepreneur himself said that he had even made around 80,000 euros in his initiative. Already in spring the court had proposed an attitude of the proceedings due to insignificance. The judges pointed out that the ball path could not be proven. However, the public prosecutor rejected the proposal.
In her plea last week, the indictment demanded a three -year imprisonment and the confiscation of over half a million euros – the amount that Ballweg is said to have used according to charges. The defenders, on the other hand, pleaded for acquittal and also applied for compensation for ballwarts in prison.
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Galance figure of the protest movement
Because of the ongoing investigations, “cross-thinking” founders of Ballweg was in custody from June 2022. The judiciary had justified this with risk of escape. Supporters regularly gathered in front of the detention center to demand his release. In April 2023, Ballweg was released.
Ballweg had become a central figure of the government-critical protests during the Corona pandemic. The “transverse thinking” movement he founded formed in Stuttgart in 2020 in response to state protective measures. Within a short time, she spread nationwide – in addition to vaccination opponents, the demonstrations also joined esoteric, supporters of conspiracy theories and representatives of right -wing extremists.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
