After nine months
“lateral thinking” initiator Michael Ballweg released from custody
“lateral thinking” co-founder Michael Ballweg leaves the Stuttgart-Stammheim prison in the car of one of his lawyers
© Marijan Murat / DPA
The public prosecutor’s office in Stuttgart recently filed charges of attempted fraud and money laundering against Michael Ballweg. Now the “lateral thinking” initiator is free again.
The initiator of the “lateral thinking” movement, Michael Ballweg, was released from custody on Tuesday. This was reported by a reporter from the German Press Agency in front of the Stuttgart-Stammheim prison. The public prosecutor’s office in Stuttgart had brought charges against Ballweg for attempted fraud and money laundering. It’s also about tax crimes. The 48-year-old has been in custody since the end of June 2022.
The Stuttgart Higher Regional Court set a condition for Ballweg’s release from custody. He has to tell the Stuttgart district court the address of two people who can reliably summon him at the beginning of the process.
Michael Ballweg charged
The main reason for the Senate’s decision was that the incentive to flee resulting from the expectation of punishment had meanwhile reduced, which is why the purpose of pre-trial detention can now also be achieved by milder means, a spokesman said.
The public prosecutor’s office recently brought charges against Ballweg before the Stuttgart Regional Court for attempted fraud and money laundering. According to the indictment, he is accused of having raised financial donations of more than one million euros for the organization “Quermachen 711” by public appeals from several thousand people since May 2020 at the latest. He is said to have deceived the donors about the use of the funds and also about the fact that he is working on the recognition of the charitable status of “Quermachen 711” by the tax office in the form of an association or a foundation. According to his lawyer, it is about attempted fraud in 9,450 cases. According to the public prosecutor, Ballweg is said to have used over 500,000 euros for his own purposes.
Money laundering by “lateral thinking” initiator?
Ballweg is also accused of money laundering. He is said to have concealed the allegedly illegal origin of the financial donations raised in the mid-six-figure range by making four cash payments. Now the district court of Stuttgart has to decide on the opening of the main hearing.
Ballweg’s lawyers had repeatedly rejected the prosecutor’s allegations and called for the 48-year-old to be released from custody. The Economic Criminal Division of the Regional Court has not yet decided on the admission of the indictment.
The “lateral thinking” movement had formed in many German cities from Stuttgart in the course of the corona pandemic. The supporters repeatedly demonstrated publicly against the political measures to contain the virus. There were also attacks on police officers and media representatives. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution monitors the scene for anti-constitutional views, conspiracy ideologies and anti-Semitic tendencies.
Further source:Notification from the public prosecutor’s office in Stuttgart.