The former MDR entertainment boss Udo Foht wants to comment on the allegations of illegal money smuggling in the fraud process. The 71-year-old’s lawyers announced on Friday a statement for the next trial day on September 9th.
Foht responded to a proposal for an agreement that the court had made at the start of the process. If he made a “credible confession,” the once-powerful television executive was given the prospect of a maximum of one year and nine months in prison, suspended on probation. “Our client will agree to the chamber’s settlement proposal,” said attorney Lawrence Desnizza.
The public prosecutor accuses Foht of fraud, infidelity, corruption and tax evasion. The cases are a long time ago, the allegations became known in 2011. The TV man Foht is said to have repeatedly asked music managers from the hit industry and television producers for five-digit sums. The money is needed for productions.
Foht therefore repeatedly promised a repayment via the MDR, which according to the public prosecutor’s office was never planned by the broadcaster.
The presiding judge Michael Dahms had stated that the chamber was interested in a “slimming” of the procedure – also because of Foht’s state of health. The chamber is actually not “affinity for understanding”. But if you make an agreement, then a blanket confession is not enough, emphasized Dahms. Lawyer Desnizza announced that the statement next Friday should be quite extensive. The lawyers want to read them out. Important witnesses should also be heard in the process.
According to the proposed agreement, the charges of breach of trust and tax evasion should be dropped. The presumption of innocence applies to Foht until the final conclusion of the proceedings. The MDR had terminated the manager after the allegations became known. A work process ended with a comparison.
The state broadcasting director of the MDR in Saxony-Anhalt, Ines Hoge-Lorenz, recently resigned from her post. Before taking office, she failed to inform that her husband had played a role in the Causa Foht.
