Two managing directors from the Neumarkt area in the Upper Palatinate now have to answer in court on suspicion of cheating in the procurement of corona protective masks. During the pandemic, the defendants are said to have sold mouth and nose protective masks made in China for medical use to the State Office for Health and Food Safety, to pharmacies and to companies that did not meet the agreed quality. In June 2023, the Nuremberg-Fürth regional court largely refused to open the main proceedings. It did not see a sufficient probability of conviction with regard to the fraud allegations. The public prosecutor’s office lodged a complaint against this. With overwhelming success, as can now be seen. The Higher Regional Court (OLG) has permitted the main hearing.
According to the OLG, there is numerous evidence that the defendants were indifferent to the quality of the masks purchased from China. Even if some of the protective masks sold to the various buyers actually had the agreed quality, the Higher Regional Court sees sufficient suspicion against the defendants for joint fraud and attempted fraud. As far as the accusation of joint forgery of documents is concerned, the OLG confirmed the negative attitude of the regional court. However, doubtful questions of fact must first be clarified at the main hearing. A date for the hearing has not yet been set.