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Perpetrator or victim?
The head of the German EY section is
Hubert Barth
, who had long classified Wirecard as a high-risk customer.
But he did not draw any conclusions.
Now he is waging a battle for credibility and reputation that is difficult to win.
Photo: Daniel Delang for mm
In January Manfred Knof (55) made his first move.
The Commerzbank boss wants to clean up the legacies of his predecessor, and that includes a depreciation of 175 million euros from the summer of 2020. The loan to the payment service provider Wirecard was perdu after its bankruptcy.
But Knof wants the money back.
There is not much to be gained from the former board members Markus Braun (51) and Jan Marsalek (40), but he is expecting opportunities from the EY auditors.
Without their attestation, so Knof's calculation, Wirecard could hardly have developed into what is probably the largest case of fraud in German post-war history.
That is why he sets the Frankfurt branch of the British-Australian law firm Ashurst on the move.
Together with the consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal, which specializes in forensic advice, the lawyers should collect enough material for a lawsuit.
The troops are still operating in secret, but there is no doubt that Knof will soon fight the matter out with verve.
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