In the high-security courtroom of the Munich District Court, the Wirecard trial is underway. This trial involves two prominent defendants, Oliver Bellenhaus and Markus Braun, who spend their days in court while being held in pretrial detention at the Munich-Stadelheim prison. The courtroom itself is located five meters underground and is reminiscent of a multipurpose hall, with the exception of the numerous security personnel and handcuffed defendants. The trial, which has been ongoing for almost a year, focuses on allegations of billion-dollar gang fraud, accounting fraud, market manipulation, and embezzlement within the once-celebrated German start-up company, Wirecard. Bellenhaus, who was responsible for the company’s Asian business and now serves as a key witness for the prosecution, sits in the first row alongside Braun, the former CEO of the collapsed company. Despite their shared fate, the two defendants completely ignore each other, speaking over rather than with one another. The strained relationship between the former boss and his once-close employee has been further chilled by the company’s insolvency and nearly three and a half years of pretrial detention. The routine of life behind prison walls follows a predictable pattern, with limited contact between inmates during pretrial detention. However, for Bellenhaus and Braun, their days in court provide a temporary break from this monotonous routine.

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Information	Details
Geography	Europe
Countries	🇩🇪
Sentiment	negative
Relevance Score	1
People	Markus Braun, Oliver Bellenhaus
Companies	Wirecard, Justizvollzugsanstalt München-Stadelheim, Münchner Landgericht, Silicon Valley
Currencies	None
Securities	None