32nd Day of Trial – Tax Investigation Without Suspicion? Memo Indicates Pre-Planned Criminal Case Against Ballweg

Surveillance Began in 2020 – Without Initial Suspicion

The witness confirmed that Michael Ballweg came under the scrutiny of the tax investigation office as early as August 2020 — even though at that point no 2020 tax return could have been filed, and no tax-related suspicion existed. The regular deadline for filing the 2020 income tax return was February 28, 2022 — long after the memo.

"They started watching before there was anything to evaluate," said Ballweg.

The reason for the early interest? The defendant’s media presence. This, the witness explained, is “not uncommon” as a trigger for tax audits — a practice the defense views as highly problematic.

Memo Points to Pre-Planned Prosecution

One internal memo from 2020 caused particular concern: a tax official had already predicted a criminal tax case would occur — one and a half years before charges were filed.

"A criminal case just waiting for the calendar to catch up — that’s not the rule of law, that’s a script," said attorney Reinhard Löffler.

The department head became increasingly evasive during questioning. When asked about internal communications with the prosecution, he claimed he “couldn’t recall.” He also remained vague on when and why a tax-related suspicion had supposedly been established.

Ballweg: “No Suspicion, But a Plan”

Michael Ballweg summed it up this way:

"Today made one thing clear: in 2020, I was a model taxpayer — the tax authorities even confirmed that. Yet the investigation was intense. Not because there were indications — but because they wanted a case."

QUERDENKEN-711 Remained Active — Funded by Ballweg

Another witness — a former team member from QUERDENKEN-711 — confirmed that the movement remained active even after Ballweg’s imprisonment, continuing with demonstrations, technical infrastructure, and organizational structure. The IT systems ran continuously, and funding still came from Michael Ballweg. He emphasized the scale of the operation:

"Big or small — 100,000 euros are always involved. Even when a demo is canceled."

The last major demonstration organized by QUERDENKEN-711 took place on August 3, 2024, in Berlin, with approximately 60,000 participants. This, too, was confirmed by the witness as having been financed and coordinated through existing structures.

These facts starkly contradict the prosecution’s narrative, which until now has assumed the protests were spontaneous and nearly cost-free.

Costa Rica Myth Dispelled: No “Escape Container” in Hamburg

Another accusation from the prosecution: Ballweg allegedly packed all his belongings into a container to flee to Costa Rica. But a second witness — a Hamburg criminal investigator — had opened the container himself. His statement was clear: no household goods, no escape plan, no proof of emigration — only electronics and equipment belonging to media access GmbH were found.

"You can only talk about personal belongings if someone takes everything with them. That simply wasn’t the case here," said attorney Reinhard Löffler.

The next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 29, 2025, with four more witnesses expected to testify.