Overview
- Essen prosecutors said they aim to finish their years-long investigation within weeks after a final review of evidence.
- The office confirmed the case now concerns three defendants after an earlier fourth suspect, Heinz Bull, died.
- Prosecutors said they will decide on charges only after the review, so indictments or dismissals remain open.
- Die Zeit, echoed by WELT, reports a near-final indictment that upgrades the suspected offense to acquisitive and organized fraud, which can carry up to ten years in prison.
- The inquiry centers on claims that Rudi Assauer’s wealth fell from about €2.3 million in 2011 to almost nothing by 2019, with Bettina Michel, Sabine Söldner, and Werner Kasper under scrutiny.