Berenberg – shifty and questionable – Süddeutsche.de

The private bank Berenberg has fallen into the twilight: counter-charge of the institute runs a method, but is already since 2015. Brisant that Hans-Walter Peters became bank president.

For over a year determines the Procuratorate Cologne with related stores the Panamanian firm Mossack Fonseca (Mossfon) fifty banks and financial service providers on suspicion of tax evasion. Some of the procedures have been completed, but the vast majority is not.

These days, advances, also because of their earlier excellent Mossfon contacts that Hamburg private bank Berenberg public attention. It turned out, as SZ, NDR and WDR reported out that the tradition bank, founded in 1590 has worked with shady and questionable customers. Some came from Mossfon. Others came alone.

Also, the fact that it has been selected Papers spokesman for the personally liable shareholder, Hans-Walter Peters President of the Bankers Association, almost parallel to the publications of Panama, the media interest Berenberg strengthened.

on Friday it was reported that the Cologne prosecutors now determined to charge the Hamburg private bank on suspicion of tax evasion and that Peters had fallen “to the attention of law enforcement.” After SZ-information process to charge the bank early 2015 has been launched and has nothing to do with the Panama Papers. It’s about the subsidiaries of the Bank in Luxembourg and in Switzerland.

More than a year informer had sold the tax authorities in NRW papers concerning transactions by Mossfon for almost one million Euro. Among other things, it was also about transactions by Berenberg customers, of which the German tax authorities did not know. Due to the circumstances of these transactions, a process was initiated on suspicion of tax evasion. Almost routine.

Three German banks, who had collaborated with Mossfon, paid fines now totaling 60 million euros. Many other financial institutions may be still there come. Among them may also Berenberg. The Bank has reported earlier this week at the Rhenish investigators after publication of Panama Papers. “We have reached out to the public prosecutor in Cologne and work with the appropriate authorities closely,” said a spokesman for the private bank.

Whether the case will meet the new bank president Peters or not, is not clear. Against him is not detected. But in the list of banks presidents there were some who had problems with law enforcement.