From defendant to witness
Turning point in the summer fairy tale trial: Niersbach is supposed to testify
The proceedings against Wolfgang Niersbach on suspicion of tax evasion were discontinued in September. Now the court is calling the former DFB boss to the witness stand.
Surprising turnaround in the summer fairy tale trial: The former defendant Wolfgang Niersbach is scheduled to testify as a witness in the trial before the Frankfurt am Main regional court on January 30 next year. This was announced by the presiding judge Eva-Marie Distler. Niersbach had not yet made any personal statements in court.
In the trial that opened at the beginning of March, Niersbach originally had to answer together with Theo Zwanziger and Horst R. Schmidt on suspicion of tax evasion in a particularly serious case. The three accused have always strictly denied the accusation.
In September, the proceedings against ex-DFB President Niersbach were dropped against a fine of 25,000 euros. The proceedings against former DFB General Secretary Schmidt had previously been severed for health reasons. All that remains is Zwanziger, who served as DFB president from 2004 to 2012. The 79-year-old had always confirmed that he would attend the trial until the end and expected an acquittal.
Other prominent witnesses invited
Before Niersbach takes the witness stand at the end of January, two other former DFB bosses are expected to testify. Fritz Keller was called as a witness by the court on December 5th and Reinhard Grindel on January 13th. In February, the court is hoping to hear statements from ex-FIFA boss Joseph Blatter and Günter Netzer. The taking of evidence could possibly end in March next year.
dpa
