Germany’s foremost prosecutor in the Cum-Ex tax scandal, Anne Brorhilker, has unexpectedly resigned from her position in the judiciary and expressed criticism regarding the prosecution of financial crimes in Germany. Brorhilker’s departure comes after years of leading investigations into the Cum-Ex tax scandal, which implicated over 1,700 suspects, including top politicians in different jurisdictions, and involved an estimated twelve billion euros in taxpayer funds.
Anne Brorhilker‘s tenure as a senior public prosecutor lasted from 2012 to 2019, during which time she and her team uncovered key evidence and obtained the first legally binding verdict. Her investigations also shed light on the involvement of high-profile figures and institutions, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, although there was no initial suspicion against him.
In an interview with WDR-Investigativ, Brorhilker cited dissatisfaction with the prosecution of financial crimes in Germany as the primary reason for her departure. She expressed concern over the influence of money and connections in thwarting justice and criticized the practice of allowing wealthy defendants to avoid serious consequences through monetary settlements.
I have always put my heart and soul into being a public prosecutor, especially in the area of white-collar crime, but I am not at all satisfied with the way financial crime is prosecuted in Germany. It often involves perpetrators with a lot of money and good contacts, and they come up against a weak judicial system.
Anne Brorhilker (translated by FinTelegram)
She argued that the accused can often buy their way out of proceedings if, for example, proceedings are dropped in exchange for a fine. “Then we find that the small ones are hanged and the big ones are let go.” As an individual public prosecutor, there is little she could have done to change this.
Brorhilker emphasized the need for stronger enforcement measures and called for the establishment of a nationwide central authority to combat financial crime effectively. She announced her future role as managing director of the non-governmental organization Finanzwende, where she intends to advocate reforms in the fight against financial crime.
Despite Brorhilker’s departure, the investigations into the Cum-Ex scandal continue with over 1,000 suspects under scrutiny. However, her absence may pose challenges to the ongoing probes, particularly concerning the recovery of billions in profits from Cum-Ex transactions and the investigation of well-known financial institutions involved in the scandal.
Throughout her tenure, Brorhilker encountered resistance within the judiciary and faced criticism for the pace and scope of her investigations. Nonetheless, she remained steadfast in her pursuit of justice and expressed optimism about the continued efforts of her former colleagues in the public prosecutor’s office.
As Germany grapples with the fallout from one of its largest tax scandals, Brorhilker’s departure marks a significant development in the ongoing saga of financial wrongdoing and the pursuit of accountability in the country.
