Corruption trial in Göttingen: Ex-UMG boss fights for his reputation!

Corruption trial in Göttingen: Ex-UMG boss fights for his reputation!

In Göttingen, a trial for serious corruption is underway against six defendants before the district court. Among the accused is the 42-year-old former managing director of a subsidiary of the Göttingen University Medical Center (UMG) and his 45-year-old deputy. The public prosecutor's office accuses them of exploiting their positions for financial gain at the expense of UMG. In a total of 33 cases, the charges relate to commercial breach of trust and bribery, as HNA reports.

The UMG subsidiary takes on tasks in the areas of cleaning, security and renovation. The focus of the proceedings is an allegedly unlawful expansion of the collaboration with a personnel services company from northern Thuringia, which has existed since 2016. Although temporary workers received employment contracts with the personnel service company, they actually worked for the UMG subsidiary. This led to overpayments of more than 670,000 euros because the invoice amounts were higher than if they were hired directly. The personnel service company initially withheld 20% and later even 28% of the amounts.

Accusations and evidence

The indictment also relates to monthly “cashback” payments made to those responsible for the subsidiary. Among the co-defendants is a 40-year-old management assistant who received 300 euros a month for her accounting services. Surprisingly, the former managing director emphatically denied the allegations and claimed that no economic damage was caused. To support his arguments, he showed a 100+ page PowerPoint presentation designed to support his point of view.

He pointed out that the UMG actually saved 121,000 euros by using temporary workers. In addition, there were no claims for damages against the former managing director. UMG had already terminated him in December 2018, which was followed by a legal dispute over protection against dismissal, which ultimately ended in a settlement. The defendant recounted the personal impact of the proceedings, which had significant professional, economic and health consequences for him, not to mention the stressors associated with such a public accusation.

Impact on those responsible

While the trial will now extend over several days, it will be of enormous importance not only for the defendants but also for the UMG. The question of how the institution structures its contracts and business relationships in the future will have to be reassessed after this incident. Microsoft Not only does it provide helpful tools for data management, it also underlines the need to take company data protection seriously from the outset. This is all the more true as the demands for transparency in the business world are constantly increasing.

In this sense, the trial is further evidence that corruption in the healthcare system not only causes damage, but also undermines trust in the institutions. It remains to be seen how the legal action will progress and what lessons will be learned from it. The focus on integrity and responsibility in public institutions will be more important than ever.

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