Schreiber arraigned this morning in Augsburg - bail not granted

by albertacowpoke | August 4, 2009 at 03:23 am

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Karl Heinz Schreiber, German businessman and weapons lobbyist, appeared in a court in Augsburg, Germany this morning. He was read charges of fraud, bribary, and tax evasion.

Schreiber was not granted bail. The judges based their decision on the risk of flight. Schreiber's lawyer disagreed and he called for the granting of bail and plead not guilty on behalf of his client.

Schreiber has been certified as being fit to be held in custody and is now officially held until his trial, which in all likelihood will start after the German Parliamentary Elections.

Schreiber will be permitted to call his wife Barbara under supervision. The conversations must be held in the German language.

The 75 year old Schreiber was a key figure in the Mulroney Schreiber affair in Canada. Initially for Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was accused of influence peddling in the acquistion of Airbus. In recent years Mulroney was investigated for influence peddling and receiving bribes for a Light Armoured Vehicle factory, that was to be established in Canada.

Schreiber was involved in a large political scandal in Germany, with allegations of bribing the former Chancellor Kohl with funds from a numbered account in Switzerland. This sounds very faniliar to Canadians.

Als Gründe führten die Richter Flucht- und Verdunkelungsgefahr an. Schreibers Anwalt sieht das anders. Er hat die Aufhebung des Haftbefehls gefordert und zudem vorerst alle Vorwürfe pauschal bestritten.

Dass Schreiber haftfähig ist, haben zuvor drei Ärzte bescheinigt. Schreiber sitzt demnach nun offiziell in Augsburg in Untersuchungshaft. Von dort aus kann er seine Frau Barbara in Kanada anrufen. Allerdings nur unter Aufsicht, das Telefonat muss auf Deutsch geführt werden.

Gegen ihn liegt vor dem Landgericht Augsburg eine Anklage wegen Steuerhinterziehung, Betrug und Bestechung in mehreren Fällen vor. Der 75-Jährige ist eine Schlüsselfigur im CDU-Spendenskandal um den ehemaligen Bundeskanzler und Parteivorsitzenden Helmut Kohl. Er soll über ein Schweizer Tarnkontensystem Politiker und Industrielle bestochen haben.