Another criminal case in Augsburg related to the now deceased and controversial laboratory entrepreneur Bernd Schottdorf ended without conviction. In the proceedings, the former wife of Schottdorf was charged with allegedly employing courier drivers to transport laboratory samples as bogus self-employed. After several months of negotiations, the proceedings were discontinued on Monday, reported court spokesman Peter Grünes. The accused had to pay a sum of 60,000 euros to charitable organizations.
Bernd Schottdorf had set up a nationwide laboratory network and was repeatedly targeted by the public prosecutor. This had accused him and his former partner several times and had failed. A few years ago, both of them were on trial because they allegedly received fees in the double-digit million range from supposedly self-employed laboratories. The proceedings ended in an acquittal, which was upheld by the Federal Court of Justice. In 2000, Schottdorf was acquitted in a similar process.
Bernd Schottdorf died in spring 2018, which is why his divorced wife had to answer for herself in the new proceedings. The criminal chamber heard more than 50 witnesses in the new trial. Since the laboratory company has meanwhile reached an agreement with the pension insurance company on the social security contributions, the court ended the proceedings without a judgment. The public prosecutor and the defendant agreed to this path. Such settings against payment of a fee are often used when the guilt of the accused appears to the judges to be minor.