Press Release: 15th Day of Trial in the Case Against Michael Ballweg – A New Year Begins with Focus on IT Services and Money Laundering

Witness Confirms Responsibilities of media access GmbH

In the morning, the CEO of an IT services company testified. This company had worked for media access GmbH, Michael Ballweg's business. He confirmed that media access GmbH was responsible for all development and programming, as stipulated in the contract.

Michael Ballweg commented: “The witness's statement did not provide any new insights; it merely confirmed what was already laid out in the contract. Why this needed to be reinforced through witness testimony remains unclear.”

FIU Witness and the Suspicion of Money Laundering

In the afternoon, a senior customs officer from the FIU took the stand. She explained how easily one can fall under suspicion of money laundering—for example, by withdrawing cash and redepositing it or through simple transfers between accounts.

Attorney Gregor Samimi explained: “It is enough to withdraw cash from your own account and redeposit it to become the target of a money laundering investigation. In this case, it was a standard scenario without any specific irregularities. Nevertheless, such procedures often cause unnecessary fear for those affected.”

The FIU official confirmed that the allegations against Michael Ballweg showed no extraordinary features and were treated like any other case.

Defense Criticizes Lack of Substance in Proceedings

Attorney Hans Böhme offered a critical view of today’s proceedings: “Today did not bring any significant insights. The witnesses’ statements lacked substance and bore no direct relevance to the main allegations against Michael Ballweg. However, it is reassuring to see that the court is conducting thorough investigations to comprehensively examine the charges.”

Outlook

The next hearing will take place on Friday, January 10, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. The main investigator and case manager of the “Kreuz” investigation team, the senior criminal investigator, is scheduled to testify.

Michael Ballweg summarized: “We still have many unanswered questions, especially regarding the purposes of QUERDENKEN-711 and the allegedly privately used funds. I look forward to continuing the trial and hope to gain further clarity.”

Looking ahead to the coming weeks, he added: “This month will be intense, with a total of nine hearing days. I look forward to seeing many trial observers.”