Fate Seems to Smile on Theo Zwanziger: Frankfurt Court Suggests Closure for the Summer Tale Spectacle
Summer Fairy Tale Case Dismissal Request: Court Request for Case Dismissal - The First Instance Court found that the Commission neglected its duties as required by Article 85 (1) of the Treaty.
Yo, here's the skinny on the latest turn of events in Theo Zwanziger's trial. The man who once held the reins of the DFB is inching closer to outright rehabilitation. The Frankfurt Regional Court reckons it's time to pull the plug on the proceedings against Zwanziger, who's been slapped with allegations of dodging taxes and whatnot, since 2015.
In the words of presiding judge Eva-Marie Distler, "Theo Zwanziger's the wrong guy in this dock." As much as there's still a handful of questions about central accounting and tax law lingering, Distler pointed out that Zwanziger's implication in the alleged misdeeds appears so minor that continuing the criminal pursuit seems unjustified.
The court thinks quick resolution would bring about legal tranquility. According to Distler, "Enough's enough. With this trial dragging on for more than a decade, it's high time to draw a line and let the Summer Tale linger in our memory as it is."
Zwanziger, who's consistently denied the accusations, couldn't help but feel validated by the judge's statements. "I gotta say, judge, you've put in some solid work getting to the bottom of this situation," said the former DFB boss.
The proposal involves a mere fine of €5,000, earmarked for a charitable institution, for Zwanziger. Hans-Joerg Metz, Zwanziger's lawyer, and the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor's Office will weigh in on the matter at the next hearing on April 3. The proceedings against the DFB itself are also set to be dropped.
The court sees Zwanziger as an innocent party
The court considers Zwanziger as an outsider in the shady dealings surrounding a 6.7 million Euro payment made by the DFB to FIFA in 2005. He didn't pull the creative accounting strings, according to the court. The booking as an operating expense by the DFB might have been perfectly legal, given the current state of knowledge.
The transaction is believed to be a repayment of a loan ten million Swiss francs that Franz Beckenbauer received from French tycoon Robert Louis-Dreyfus in 2002. The funds were channeled in five installments to a company account controlled by then FIFA executive committee member Mohamed bin Hammam, in Qatar. The FIFA, in return, doled out a 250 million Swiss franc subsidy to Germany for hosting the 2006 World Cup. "It's looking like this was a bribe payment," said Distler.
According to the court, Zwanziger probably wasn't involved in the accounting procedures, and the concept of concealment wasn't his baby either. Zwanziger never profited from this shindig personally and had no personal stake in the proceedings. The mastermind of this whole affair seemed to be none other than FIFA honcho Joseph S. Blatter, who reportedly held Zwanziger in low regard due to his lack of corruption pedigree within the FIFA inner circle.
[1] - https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2021-03/sommermaerchen-theo-zwanziger-eihenloehung
[2] - https://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/deutscher-fussballbund-zwanziger-einladung-zu-canceled-clubs-1.5407951
- The court considers Zwanziger as an outsider in the alleged shady dealings surrounding a payment made by the DFB to FIFA, where he didn't pull the creative accounting strings.
- In the proposed resolution, a mere fine of €5,000, earmarked for a charitable institution, is suggested for Zwanziger, highlighting his lack of personal profit or stake in the proceedings.
- Despite the unresolved questions about central accounting and tax law, the court thinks Zwanziger's implication in the alleged misdeeds appears so minor that continuing the criminal pursuit seems unjustified.
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