The Mainz Regional Court closed the case against the co-defendant in the trial against the former Mayor of Oppenheim, Marcus Held, on Tuesday.
In addition, the criminal chamber decided to limit the charge of fraud against Held to the charge of infidelity at the expense of the city of Oppenheim.
The aim is to "streamline" the process, said the presiding judge Wolfgang Eckert.
Mainz - The verdict is expected in December, Held is also charged with bribery.
Half a year after the start of the trial, the criminal chamber followed a request from tax advisor F. to discontinue the proceedings.
The 84-year-old admitted in a statement read out by his defense lawyer that “in retrospect it would certainly have been better” “if I had signed a written contract with the city of Oppenheim”.
As a condition, F. has to donate 50,000 euros to charitable organizations.
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The defendant said that the fraud and bribery proceedings are very stressful for him and his family. He should certainly have better documented his brokerage services for the purchase of land by the city of Oppenheim. "I think it was a mistake today that I was careless here."
Chief Public Prosecutor Thomas Bartsch agreed to the termination of the proceedings against the co-defendant.
As a justification, he cited the age of F., his “problematic state of health”, the four-year duration of the proceedings and the “at least manageable” damage.
The court had previously closed the proceedings against F.'s wife - she was nominally managing director of the company that charged the city of Oppenheim with brokerage fees for arranging real estate transactions.
In return, F. is said to have made donations to the SPD Oppenheim.
dpa
