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Lateral thinking 711 founder Michael Ballweg at a demo in May 2020
Photo: Arnulf Hettrich / IMAGO
The founder of the "lateral thinking 711" initiative, Michael Ballweg, has been arrested.
Background are investigations into suspected fraud.
As security circles confirmed to SPIEGEL, the 47-year-old was searched.
Because, according to the investigators, there is obviously a risk of absconding, they applied for an arrest warrant.
Police and public prosecutors announced in a joint statement that two apartments and business premises in Stuttgart had been searched.
The police and public prosecutor's office did not provide any information on the identity of the suspects - in addition to the 47-year-old, a second person was being investigated.
The statement states that the 47-year-old has “been raising funds through public appeals since May 2020” and misled people about the intended use.
The suspect is said to have improperly used a higher six-digit amount for himself.
According to the police, evidence was confiscated in the searched premises, which is now being evaluated.
Assets were also confiscated.
The suspect is due to appear before a magistrate on Wednesday.
In April 2020, shortly after the first corona shutdown in Germany, the former IT entrepreneur Michael Ballweg founded the group "Quermachen 711" - the abbreviation stands for the Stuttgart telephone area code.
Later, local offshoots emerged nationwide.
Due to connections to "Reich citizens" and "anti-state" determined by the authorities in parts of the movement, the Baden-Württemberg Office for the Protection of the Constitution began observing the "lateral thinkers" at the end of 2020.
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Early on there was criticism of the group's opaque handling of income from merchandising and donations.
First of all, »lateral thinking 711« asked for »gifts« on its website, an account from Ballweg was given.
In the meantime, there is a call for support via cryptocurrency Bitcoin.
Most recently, Ballweg also launched calls for personal financial support, allegedly to be able to finance court cases, for example.
A Telegram channel, which is assigned to the "lateral thinking" lawyer Ralf Ludwig, confirms the house search at Ballweg.
The entry speaks of "constructed allegations", "similar to those of Sucharit Bakhdi", another prominent head of the corona protest movement, who has been accused of sedition.
In the case of Ballweg, an experienced criminal defense lawyer is on site and a team is currently being put together.
fek/wow/AFP
