A Munich court rejected a defense request to suspend the Wirecard trial on Thursday, clearing the way for the proceedings to continue after nearly four years.
Presiding Judge Markus Födisch of the Munich I Regional Court announced the decision on the 285th day of the trial, stating that the chamber aims to begin closing arguments in November. The defense had sought a full suspension of the trial, which would have required restarting the proceedings at an unspecified future date. The request centered on awaiting the outcome of a separate fraud case against a former Wirecard manager, whom the defense considered a key witness. However, the court deemed this unnecessary, as the woman had already been summoned earlier this year and refused to testify.
The trial involves former Wirecard CEO Markus Braun, who has been in pretrial detention since July 2020, and two co-defendants. Prosecutors allege Braun and accomplices fabricated billions in revenue over years to deceive lenders, with the company collapsing in June 2020 after €1.7 billion in booked assets were found to be nonexistent. The prosecution estimates the fraud caused €3 billion in damages. Braun has denied all charges since the trial began.
The court will set a deadline in the coming weeks for the defense to submit additional evidence requests or witness summons. Once that period expires, prosecutors and defense attorneys will present their final arguments, followed by the defendants’ last statements and a verdict.
