Sailing training ship
Trial for “Gorch Fock” begins: suspected fraud after 135 million euros expensive repair
The “Gorch Fock” circled the earth 35 times. The picture shows it after the restoration in Kiel in 2022.
© Axel Heimken/ / Picture Alliance
Because the repair costs for the “Gorch Fock” skyrocketed by more than 100 million euros, six defendants now have to answer in court. There is fraud and corruption in the room.
The scandal surrounding the expensive repair of the naval sailing training ship “Gorch Fock” will concern the regional court from this Tuesday Oldenburg. Six defendants between the ages of 32 and 67 must answer in the corruption proceedings, including two 55-year-old former board members of the Elsflether shipyard. All defendants worked for or with the shipyard.
The Elsfleth shipyard was commissioned, among other things, with the repair of the “Gorch Fock”. According to investigators, the costs rose from 9.6 million euros to 135 million euros.
The Gorch Fock: “Ambassador of Germany under sail”
“Gorch Fock” repair: a total of six defendants
The investigators accuse the shipyard’s two former board members of, among other things, commercial fraud in a particularly serious case; a former executive assistant (32) is said to have violated the Banking Act.
A technical cost auditor at the naval arsenal (67) is suspected of accepting benefits in seven cases. A former boss of a subcontractor (53) and a 38-year-old employee of this company are said to be guilty of granting joint benefits in three cases.
Due to the large number of people involved, the proceedings were moved from the court to the Weser-Ems-Hallen in Oldenburg. Initially, appointments were scheduled until December 11th.