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Allegations of fraud: Did “lateral thinking” initiator Ballweg want to defraud donors?

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Fraud allegations
Did “lateral thinking” initiator Ballweg want to defraud donors?

Ballweg is on trial for attempted fraud in 9,450 cases. photo

© Christoph Schmidt/dpa

He is the face behind a controversial movement that found supporters throughout Germany during the pandemic: Michael Ballweg. Now he is on trial.

The “lateral thinking” initiator From Wednesday (9 a.m.) Michael Ballweg will have to answer in court for attempted fraud in 9,450 cases. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the 49-year-old is said to have raised more than one million euros for the organization through public appeals from thousands of people, but to have deceived donors about how the money would be used. The trial is about the extent to which Ballweg wanted to use the money collected for his movement or for private purposes.

Ballweg’s lawyers had repeatedly rejected the public prosecutor’s allegations. More than 30 days of hearings are scheduled before the Commercial Criminal Chamber of the Stuttgart Regional Court until the end of April 2025.

Ballweg also has to answer in court on suspicion of tax evasion. Because the authorities assumed there was a risk of escape, Ballweg was taken into custody at the Stuttgart-Stammheim correctional facility in June 2022, but was then released in April 2023. During his pre-trial detention, Ballweg’s supporters repeatedly demonstrated in front of the prison.

The “lateral thinking” movement was formed in many German cities from Stuttgart in the wake of the corona pandemic. The supporters repeatedly demonstrated publicly against the political measures to contain the virus. They viewed these measures as restrictions on their personal freedom. There were also attacks on police officers and media representatives. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution looked at the scene because of anti-constitutional views, conspiracy ideologies and anti-Semitic tendencies.

The criminal chamber of the regional court initially did not allow charges relating to attempted fraud. However, the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court upheld a complaint from the public prosecutor’s office against the non-admission. So the criminal proceedings are now taking place before the Commercial Criminal Chamber. The charge of money laundering was finally dropped.