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Victim Bernhard Günther, lawyer Martin Meinberg: "Urgent suspicion"
Photo: Federico Gambarini / picture alliance / dpa
If what the public prosecutor says is true, then Bernhard Günther and Nuri T. have met before.
On March 4, 2018, a Sunday, at 9.20 a.m. in Haan near Düsseldorf in the Rhineland.
The German top manager was coming from a jog, a bag of bread rolls in his hand, when two men attacked him.
They threw him to the ground and poured acid on him, then fled.
Nuri T. is said to be one of them.
Bernhard Günther dragged himself into the house, stood in his clothes in the shower and waited for the paramedics.
At the time he was CFO of the RWE subsidiary Innogy, which was later taken over by E.on. He is now CFO of the Finnish energy supplier Fortum.
»Insidious Raid«
More than four years after the attack, the two men meet in the Wuppertal district court: Nuri T., 42 years old, arrested in the Belgian province of Limburg and accused of "intentionally caused joint serious bodily harm in conjunction with dangerous bodily harm", as the prosecutor said says.
She speaks of a "sneaky robbery".
Nuri T. is said to have hidden in the bushes with an accomplice and ambushed Günther.
The native Belgian, a slim man in a training jacket and sneakers, follows the indictment reading with a calm gaze.
He has so far remained silent on the allegations.
Bernhard Günther is sitting diagonally opposite.
He is 55 years old.
The perpetrators attacked him with highly concentrated sulfuric acid, and the manager suffered severe chemical burns on his head and neck.
They partially disfigured him, he had to be operated on several times;
According to the prosecutor, he will have to undergo further operations.
He is still "significantly restricted".
money from mother
To protect the skin transplants, Günther had to wear a headband for a long time.
If he hadn't worn contact lenses then, he would probably be blind today.
Scars can still be seen on his face.
He looks at the accused through glasses.
Nuri T. will not comment on the allegations, but will provide information about his CV, says his defense attorney Ömer Kalkan.
And then Nuri T. describes that he grew up with four siblings in Belgium and now lives in his parents' house;
that he learned to be a car mechanic and started his own business with a car wash and a drinks wholesale business in Prague and Bratislava;
how he worked on the construction site and at Ford and how he recently worked on cars without paying money.
His mother slipped him some of her pension, his marriage broke up after a short time, and he had no children.
Nuri T. is talkative.
The co-prosecutor takes the opportunity and asks about his contacts in Germany.
Nuri T. tells of a cousin in Düsseldorf, of visits to the brothel and of women who stopped working there and are now his girlfriends.
Does he also have contact with rocker or motorcycle clubs?
Nuri T. said no.
The contacts that Nuri T. had in Germany are of great importance.
According to the investigators, Nuri T. is a henchman, and there are no indications of a client so far.
But Bernhard Günther is convinced that the men who attacked him were commissioned to do so.
The mastermind comes from the industry, is a well-known manager like him and has his sights set on his post, Günther claimed several times.
He hired private investigators, offered a high bonus and set up an information hotline.
An anonymous caller called Nuri T's name and address and accused him of being involved in the crime.
This information will not be enough to convict him, says the presiding judge, Holger Jung, and turns to the accused.
However, there are also five DNA hits from Nuri T. in a black rubber glove that was at the crime scene and that one of the perpetrators must have worn.
In addition, T. had an injury on his hand that was due to the fact that he was involved in the crime.
silence or speak
This speaks for a high probability that Nuri T. will be found guilty, says Jung.
A confession at an early stage would "certainly have a mitigating effect."
He looks at Nuri T.
"If you're guilty of something, think twice about sticking to a silent defense."
Nuri T. nods slightly.
Then Martin Meinberg, Günther's lawyer, turns to him.
He also speaks of an “urgent suspicion”.
He emphasizes the importance of this procedure: to find out who initiated such a "terrible process".
Who is behind the attack?
Who wanted to harm Günther?
And why?
more on the subject
Process for acid attack on manager: judge suggests accused confession
Almost four years after attack on Innogy manager: Suspected acid attacker arrested
Against 41-year-old Belgian: Charges brought after acid attack on former Innogy manager
North Rhine-Westphalia: Acid attack on Innogy manager - DNA test relieves suspect of Lukas Eberle
At that time, the investigators had examined Günther's private life, searched for suspects in the immediate vicinity, and climate protectors were also targeted.
It was not the first attack on Bernhard Günther.
Back in 2012, when Günther was nominated as CFO of RWE, he was mugged – while jogging on a Sunday morning in Haan.
According to Meinberg, if Nuri T. now called “horse and rider”, that would also mean a bit of compensation – for Bernhard Günther and his family.
Nuri T. now nods more clearly.
He seems devoted.
Even when the prosecutor asks him about his parrot.
There are photos of him sitting on T's shoulder.
"I spend a lot of time with him," answers Nuri T. "I take him everywhere with me."
His defense attorney says he wants to speak to his client again by the next day of the hearing.
