While ex-Wirecard boss Braun is cooperating with the judiciary, his former confidante Marsalek is on the run. The 40-year-old Austrian was suspected in the Philippines or in China. But that too is probably a wrong track, as is the existence of 1.9 billion euros. A search for traces.
While some investors are still rubbing their eyes in surprise at the criminal energy used by the financial service provider Wirecard, the next chapter in this criminal case is already being written. The focus is on ex-board member Jan Marsalek. The Austrian, who was responsible for Wirecard's day-to-day business, is on the run. The investigators lost their track in the Philippines.
According to the data available, Marsalek entered the country on June 23 and left for China the next day. However, the Philippine authorities are now assuming that this data is falsified. Justice Secretary of State Menardo Guevarra said that immigration officials who entered the falsified data into the systems had been released from their duties and were held accountable.
Guevarra had spoken of abnormalities shortly after Marsalek's alleged entry because the manager was not seen on any surveillance camera at the airport. In addition, you could only enter at this time if you had Filipino family members. In addition, a quarantine was stipulated that would have prevented further travel to China. Quite apart from the fact that no plane took off to China on the supposed departure day, as the "FAZ" found out.
"Always on the go"
According to Guevarras, Marsalek was previously in the Philippines from March 3 to 5. Nevertheless, Guevarra could not completely rule out that Marsalek was back in the country. "We are an island nation and there are loopholes through which foreigners can slip unnoticed." The Philippines are the focus of the affair, as the missing money was allegedly parked in escrow accounts at two banks in the country. However, the banks found nothing of the money and now describe the account records as fake.
Marsalek had had a fast-paced career at Wirecard before a balance sheet hole of EUR 1.9 billion was largely in his area of responsibility. The 40-year-old was then released. Wirecard has now filed for bankruptcy. Marsalek is being searched for internationally because of market manipulation, falsification of the balance sheet and breach of trust.
At the age of 30 he had already joined Wirecard's board of directors, without a degree, even without a high school diploma, but with an external image that today leads to descriptions such as "polite", "controlled" or "ripped off". Some found the light Viennese dialect charming, which Marsalek retained despite his extensive knowledge of foreign languages. As a close confidant and right-hand man of CEO Markus Braun, Marsalek had been traveling a lot, reports the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", "always on the go".
Master of Counterfeiting
There is also talk of a luxury party life between Kitzbühel and Moscow. Naked women, champagne and thick bundles of cash play a role in the descriptions. There was nothing left of this frankness when it came to business contacts. "He was the guy who always closed his notebook when you got too close," a manager told the "FAZ". He mostly stayed away from his company's press conferences.
Ex-Wirecard boss Markus Braun has turned to the judiciary and is now free on bail. The same can hardly be expected from Marsalek. According to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", acquaintances of the Austrian assume that he has branched out of Wirecard AG's coffers in the hundreds of millions and also maintains close contacts with intelligence officers from various countries. He could have laid the foundation for a longer escape. Some even suspect a new identity that enables better immersion.
Investigators suspect that Marsalek may have planned his hiding as systematically as he did his fraud. A photo was circulating in the Philippines, which Marsalek should show in shorts while shopping. But the photo is a fake, like the existence of the 1.9 billion euros or the entry dates.
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