The public prosecutor is currently investigating the insolvent founder of the Schlecker Group, Anton Schlecker. Meanwhile, all Schlecker markets have been closed..
Schlecker was once the largest drugstore discounter in Europe and has filed for insolvency in January. About 25,000 employees have lost their jobs as a result. There were over 5000 stores.
A possible conviction of the company founder would have far-reaching consequences. The public prosecutor’s office in Stuttgart is investigating on suspicion of insolvency delay and breach of trust. Thirteen other people have also been targeted by the public prosecutor’s office in this connection. However, the names have not yet been disclosed.
A police raid was launched on Wednesday to gather evidence. In the process, the 160 investigators and 9 prosecutors searched 18 homes in various states. Especially the company headquarters in Ehingen and Business premises in Osnabrück were thereby taken under the magnifying glass. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the initial suspicions were confirmed during the preliminary examination.
Raids on this scale and preliminary proceedings against several people are also rather unusual in insolvencies. These measures were also taken in the Arcandor insolvency in 2009. It remains to be seen what the public prosecutor’s office will find out in the course of further investigations. The legal situation with insolvencies is as follows. As soon as an entrepreneur realizes that his company is insolvent, he must immediately file a petition with the district court. If this does not happen, those responsible are liable to prosecution.
A further suspicion of the public prosecutor’s office amounts to embezzlement. For some time now, there has been talk that Anton Schlecker may have signed over parts of the company’s assets to family members in order to save them from insolvency.
If convicted, the company founder could face up to 5 years in prison.
