Because of the allegations of fraud and money laundering, "lateral thinking" initiator Ballweg is in custody. Now a team of lawyers is formed who want to help him. It's not just about the prominent head of the movement himself.
Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - The imprisoned founder of the "lateral thinking" movement, Michael Ballweg, is supported by a whole team of lawyers. In the end, there should be a good dozen lawyers, lawyer Alexander Christ said on Friday of the German Press Agency. The public prosecutor's office in Stuttgart is investigating fraud and money laundering against the 47-year-old Ballweg. He has been in custody since Wednesday because of the risk of escaping.
According to Christ, the high number of lawyers is mainly due to the fact that "we see at least the beginnings of a political component". Ballweg is a figure "who got the ball rolling," said Christ. "That's striking."
According to the information, the lawyers in the defense team should take on different tasks, Christ, for example, is responsible for media work. Several criminal defense lawyers should examine the allegations and "see how big the political component is".
Other colleagues should ensure that, for example, expected solidarity actions are "coordinated and within the appropriate framework". Ballweg is helped the most when you show support. "We don't want any uncontrolled actions," Christ said. However, he has no indications that such a thing could exist.
The "lateral thinking" movement was formed in many German cities from Stuttgart in the course of the corona pandemic. The supporters repeatedly demonstrate 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 movement.
According to previous investigations, the allegations against Ballweg are about a “higher six-digit amount”. According to information from judicial circles, there is a suspicion of fraud of around 640,000 euros and money laundering of around 430,000 euros.
The lawyers have not yet had access to the files, said Christ. "There should only be a small documentation so far." However, nothing can be deduced from the scope. It is now important for the defenders to establish regular contact with Ballweg in the Stuttgart-Stammheim prison.
