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Stephan Ernst (back) with his defender Mustafa Kaplan (left) and his ex-defender Frank Hannig (right)
Photo: Thomas Kienzle / dpa
Stephan Ernst is the main suspect in the murder of Walter Lübcke.
The accused had confessed to the crime several times - and varied the process with each confession.
His former defense attorney Frank Hannig is said to have helped him.
At least that is what Ernst's current defender, Mustafa Kaplan, claims.
Hannig said that he had made up parts of the confession.
"I was surprised that he admitted that he had produced a lie," said Kaplan before the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court.
Lübcke was shot in front of his house in the Kassel district in June 2019.
Stephan Ernst is said to have killed him for right-wing extremist motives.
He is charged with murder, his alleged accomplice Markus H. is accused of complicity in murder.
Since his arrest, Ernst has made three confessions with varying content.
In court it is currently about how this came about.
The current defense attorney Mustafa Kaplan was partially released from his legal professional secrecy and heard as a witness on Monday.
According to Kaplan's account, Hannig had his former client Ernst testify that co-defendant Markus H. fired the fatal shot at Lübcke.
As a reason for this misrepresentation, according to Kaplan, Hannig asserted that he was allowed to lie in the criminal proceedings and that he wanted to provoke a statement from the also accused Mark H.
Ernst had separated from Hannig during the ongoing proceedings due to differences.
The accused confessed to the crime three times.
In an initial interrogation, Ernst confessed to Lübcke's murder a few days after his arrest.
He stated that he acted alone.
A short time later he retracted his confession.
At the beginning of the year, Ernst got involved again in the allegations, but accused Markus H. of having accidentally shot Lübcke in the dispute.
In a third admission to court, Ernst admitted the shot and stated that Markus H. was there.
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jpz / dpa / AFP
