Ball path in court: Focus on fraud and millions of million!

Ball path in court: Focus on fraud and millions of million!

On March 17, 2025, the Stuttgart Regional Court submitted a proposal to stop the fraud against Michael Ballweg. The presiding judge said that the procedure should be hired based on insignificance. However, this decision met with resistance on the part of the public prosecutor, who considers a conviction as likely. In a non -public meeting, the court, defense and public prosecutor discussed the current status of the proceedings. Ballweg is charged with attempted fraud and is said to have raised more than one million euros for his organization "transverse thinking" from May 2020 to February 2022.

The allegations against the 49-year-old founder of the "Cross-thinking 711" movement include 9450 factual cases of attempted fraud and tax evasion. The public prosecutor accuses him of having used 575,929.84 euros for private purposes, while the documented expenses for "transverse thinking" movement amount to 843,11.68 euros. Ballweg himself and his lawyers deny the allegations and argue that the figures of the public prosecutor do not match.

course of the investigation

Ballweg was in custody from July 2022 to April 2023 because there was a risk of escape. This imprisonment was finally lifted in April 2023. In the meantime, he collected over 9450 donations from supporters, but the majority of the donors apparently do not see himself as a victim. The process recently started and comprises more than 30 trial days until the new year. On the first day of the trial, Ballweg was silent, but plans to comment on the tax questions.

The resignation of the "transverse thinking" movement falls into a social context that is shaped by a growing concern about false information. For example, surveys show that 84 percent of people in Germany are deliberately widespread disinformation as a major problem for society. Many citizens see the danger of disinformation as a threat to democracy and social cohesion.

public perception and the role of "transverse thinking"

The "transverse thinking" movement, which mobilized many fans during the Corona pandemic, is symbolic of the tensions within society. Followers of the movement protested against the political measures to contain the virus and were often involved in violent clashes with the police and media representatives. The developments related to Ballweg and its organization again raise questions about the spread of false information, a topic that concerns not only politics, but also the social structure of Germany.