The former chief operating officer of the German payment company Wirecard, Jan Marsalek, played a key role in an international espionage operation in favor of Russia. This conclusion was reached by the British prosecutor's office based on the results of the investigation, writes Bloomberg.
The statement was made by the investigating authorities during the trial of three Bulgarian citizens in London. Katrin Ivanova (33 years old), Vanya Gaberova (30 years old) and Tikhomir Ivanov Ivanchev (39 years old) are accused of belonging to a group that monitored opponents of the Russian state, in particular at a US air base in Germany.
“By collecting information and passing it on to the Russian state, the defendants put numerous lives at risk,” – stated prosecutor Alison Morgan.
According to her, a total of six espionage operations were carried out with their participation, which included “high-level espionage with a high level of deception”.
Jan Marsalek, who disappeared in 2020 during the collapse of Wirecard, is currently most likely hiding in the Russian Federation or Belarus. He is on Interpol's most wanted list.
British prosecutors claim that he sent thousands of messages via Telegram to Bulgarian citizen Orlin Rusev, who has already pleaded guilty to spying for the Kremlin.
Among the targets of the spy network was a Bulgarian investigative journalist living in the UK. According to the investigation, the group discussed the possibility of kidnapping or killing him.
In court, all three defendants denied their involvement in the conspiracy between August 2020 and February 2023. Ivanova also denies an additional charge of possessing forged identity documents.
Wirecard Scandal: Who is Jan Marsalek
Wirecard is a German payment company that in 2020 became the center of one of the largest financial scandals in the history of Germany over the past 80 years. The company suddenly went bankrupt, causing shareholders and customers to lose about 20 billion euros.
The main figures in the case were:
- Markus Braun (former CEO) – currently on trial,
- Jan Marsalek (former COO) – is hiding in the Russian Federation or Belarus, probably has a Russian passport (he is suspected not only of financial fraud, but also of connections with Russian special services, which probably helped him escape and obtain a Russian passport),
- Stefan von E. (chief accountant) – on trial,
- Oliver Bellenhaus (manager) – the main witness for the prosecution.
The investigation found that approximately 70% of the company's turnover was based on fictitious transactions. Wirecard created non-existent transactions to artificially increase turnover and transferred hundreds of millions of euros to shell companies in Asia.
The scale of the scandal was so significant that even high-ranking officials had to testify in the case, including former Chancellor Angela Merkel and current Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Germany has already sent a request for Marsalek's extradition from the Russian Federation.