Falsely accused?

Clever rip-off with gold bars and counterfeit money

The 50-year-old Romanian says that he is innocent before the judge in Vienna.(Bild: Pratschner Sophie, Krone KREATIV)

A Romanian gang of fraudsters almost stole 110,000 euros from a businessman. Is there now a fatal mix-up in court? Because one accused member of the gang doesn't want to know anything about a rip-off deal.

"Names, professions and stories are invented. Sometimes even false business cards are printed," the public prosecutor in Vienna begins to explain to the lay assessors about so-called rip deals. For years, the prosecution has been targeting a group of eight people who allegedly tried to rip off a businessman with gold bars. 

Money for gold exchanged for coins
The men met repeatedly throughout Europe and also showed the victim the gold. They finally met in Austria to hand over 110,000 euros. "It was a pure stroke of luck that this was finally uncovered in Vienna," said the public prosecutor. Because when the fraudsters pretended to recount the money, they exchanged the envelope. They gave the businessman back counterfeit money. However, the victim's assistant noticed this.

Was there a fatal mix-up?
The 50-year-old, who is now in the Vienna provincial court, is said to have been part of the fraud gang. However, his defense attorney found clear words after the prosecutor's plea: "We have now learned what a rip-off is, only my client was not part of it." He was merely in the vicinity of the crime scene and the identification by witnesses and accomplices was a case of mistaken identity.

I am completely innocent. I've never been involved in anything like that.

Angeklagter (50) im Wiener Landesgericht

In Romania, his home country, the employee graduated from police school and also worked as a civil servant. Although he dropped out of law school, he successfully completed a management course. He doesn't want to know anything about rip-offs: "I'm completely innocent. I've never been involved in anything like that."

Three members of the gang have already been convicted in Vienna. They are also due to testify in the current trial against the 50-year-old. According to the public prosecutor, the remaining alleged accomplices are in Romania or cannot be found. Because the victim did not appear, the trial had to be adjourned.