Today the court, sitting with lay judges (Schöffengericht), ruled on the embezzlement to the detriment of the former Volt council group in Münster. The former managing director and his wife had been charged with embezzling a five-figure sum of public funds. The former managing director, Philip M¹, was given a suspended prison sentence of one year and six months. He must also repay €18,000 and pay a further €1,800 to a charitable cause. The proceedings against his wife¹ were discontinued in return for repayment of €7,500.²
This brings to a close a case that began to be investigated in spring 2024. Helene Goldbeck, then spokesperson of the council group, uncovered irregularities in the group's previous financial management in the course of a review she had initiated. After legal advice, the matter was referred to the public prosecutor's office for further investigation. The council group has supported the investigation ever since.
After the irregularities came to light, the councillors initiated a reorganisation of the council group's administrative and control structures.
“From today's perspective, the lesson remains that trust in the work of a group office is necessary, but cannot replace reliable auditing procedures, clear responsibilities and transparent financial processes,” states Helene Goldbeck.
¹ Transparency note: We have removed or anonymised the names to protect personal privacy.
² Correction of the verdicts
