Deutsche Bank AG (DB) Monday said a Munich state prosecutor's
investigation into alleged false court statements in the Kirch
Group case now also examines the conduct of the bank's co-Chief
Executive Juergen Fitschen, in addition to former board members of
the bank.
Deutsche Bank rejects any allegations of wrongdoing by Mr.
Fitschen.
"The bank is absolutely convinced that this suspicion will prove
to be unfounded," Deutsche Bank said in an emailed statement in
response to a report in Spiegel Online magazine.
According to the bank statement, the Munich prosecutor's office
has notified Mr. Fitschen that he is now also being included in the
probe, which started at the end of 2011.
State prosecutors allege that several former Deutsche Bank board
members agreed in advance on what to testify in court and
deliberately provided incorrect information in court to block the
Kirch group's legal demands. The former board members have rejected
the allegations.
The Kirch Media group is holding Deutsche Bank responsible for
its collapse in 2002 and is demanding billions of euros in
compensation. Both parties have been in a decade-long legal dispute
over the bank's possible involvement in the company's
insolvency.
Write to the Frankfurt Bureau at
djnews.frankfurt@dowjones.com
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