Test center operator allegedly embezzled 221,000 euros - Swabian businessman faces trial for €220,000 COVID-19 test fraud scheme
A 33-year-old businessman from Swabia is set to stand trial this week for allegedly defrauding authorities of over €220,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The charges include computer fraud and falsely reporting a crime, with his trial beginning at Augsburg District Court on Thursday morning.
The man ran a COVID-19 test centre in Gersthofen, near Augsburg, in 2022. While the site was closed for about six months, he reportedly submitted invoices for tests that never took place.
When local officials requested proof of the payments, he claimed the records and the centre’s computer had been stolen. A police report was filed, but investigators later determined it was false.
The trial will run over five days, with a verdict expected in mid-January. Prosecutors allege the defendant exploited the COVID-19 testing system to collect €221,000 fraudulently.
The case centres on fictitious billing for COVID-19 tests at a now-closed Swabian centre. If convicted, the businessman could face penalties for both fraud and making a false police report. The court proceedings will examine the evidence over the coming days.
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