Trial begins in Chemnitz: couple in court for construction bribery!

Trial begins in Chemnitz: couple in court for construction bribery!

A trial began today at the Chemnitz regional court that shows the deep abysses in the construction industry. The focus is on a 48-year-old construction manager and his wife, who are accused of bribery and corruption. The indictment includes 47 cases involving an estimated 2.7 million euros. This large-scale corruption case primarily concerns construction projects for old people's homes in Saxony, including cities such as Glauchau, Limbach-Oberfrohna and Plauen. An honest business looks different, as shown by the allegations that date back to 2018 and as far back as 2022, as MDR reports.

Already at the first court hearings it quickly became clear: the construction manager is said to have demanded bribes in order to award lucrative construction contracts. According to information from the Dresden Public Prosecutor's Office, the contracts were awarded without a tender and the prices were increased by up to 20 percent. Significant income flowed through inflated invoices and fictitious invoices processed through the wife's company. After the work was completed, these funds were then used to run a horse farm and a horse breeding facility in Chemnitz.

The allegations

The allegations against the construction manager include commercial and gang bribery in business transactions as well as breach of trust. His wife is accused of aiding and abetting bribery and money laundering in 45 cases. During the negotiations, the defendant admitted to making fictitious invoices, but he claims that the system was given to him. Whether the court has a good hand from this will become apparent in the next few weeks.

The public prosecutor's office speaks of an approach that was systematically organized. The true extent of the corruption only became apparent after extensive investigations, which also included telephone surveillance. As part of these investigations, the Integrated Investigation Unit Saxony (INES) was set up to put an end to corruption and organized crime in the construction industry.

The further course

The next hearing will take place on Wednesday, at which witnesses, including company directors and contracted firms, will be heard. The process is expected to last several weeks, with previous predictions extending into early October. The defendant estimates the total damage at around 1.3 million euros, which further increases the dimension of this corruption case. The court considers a maximum prison sentence of four and a half years for the man and a suspended sentence for his wife possible.

The odds behind this lawsuit are slim for the accused couple, but in the world of construction contracting, the story could make many take notice. After all, corruption is a dangerous game that often only benefits the rich and powerful and thereby endangers many people's trust in the public sector and fair competition. We'll stay tuned and report on how this remarkable case develops. For further information on the early developments in this process, see also Medienservice Sachsen.