A woman is said to have embezzled 1.2 million euros. But the scene of the crime is not a bank or a luxury shop – money is said to have been diverted to toilets in rest stops and fast food restaurants. The process in Cottbus still has to clarify a few questions.
The Cottbus district court has been dealing with a somewhat bizarre procedure since today. According to the indictment, it is about tax fraud with income from toilet users. The managing director of a cleaning company from Bestesee is accused of having embezzled a total of 1.2 million euros in tax returns. Customers are said to have paid the voluntary fees for toilets at motorway service stations and in fast-food restaurants. The 49-year-old initially did not comment on the allegations. Her lawyer wants to read out a written statement later in the further course of the proceedings.
In the years 2005 to 2008, the accused is said to have concealed toilet money sales and the profits made with them in eight cases. According to the RBB, she should not have correctly stated how much money the toilet users voluntarily put on the plate in front of the toilet. That’s why she paid too little tax. The trial could only begin now because, according to the court, the investigations had dragged on for several years.
According to court spokeswoman Susanne Becker, if convicted, the accused faces a prison sentence of between six months and ten years. Several hearing dates are scheduled for the process. According to the court, a total of 28 witnesses are invited.
At the start of the trial, the judge responsible expressed doubts about the amount of damage. He considers the amount given by the tax office and the public prosecutor to be too high. According to the judge, the new estimate would be half that, i.e. around 600,000 euros. This could also change the sentence. Normally, amounts between 50 cents and one euro are paid for using the toilet.
It was also noticed that four of the 78 sanitary facilities are not in Germany but in Austria. In these cases it is questionable to what extent German law can be applied. In addition, it is unclear whether the right person is sitting in court. The accused is the manager of the cleaning company that is said to have caused the damage. However, the company’s shareholders may have received the illegal payments.
