Brothers in court: Millions of fraud after flood disaster discovered!

Brothers in court: Millions of fraud after flood disaster discovered!

On January 30, 2025, the trial against two brothers from Euskirchen began at the Bonn district court. The men, at the age of 38 and 42, are suspected of having committed subsidy fraud in 14 cases by taking advantage of the flood disaster from July 2021 in order to obtain illegal aid payments. The younger of the two brothers is accused of applying for a total of 2.1 million euros in compensation, of which he received around 875,000 euros from the Cologne district government. His older brother applied for 900,000 euros for the alleged reconstruction of two houses, whose damage was not recognized by the Münster district government. 

The brothers are said to have made applications for the renovation of apartment buildings between September 2021 and August 2023, which they are than by the flood disaster on 14/15. Damaged in July 2021. According to the public prosecutor, they transmitted false information about their livelihood, the actual use of the objects and the extent of the damage. In addition, fake notices from the city administrations of Euskirchen and Rheinbach were included, which confirmed instant help.

indictment points and procedure

Another serious accusation against the younger brother concerns tax evasion of 132,000 euros. It is also accused of fraud and forgery of documents, since he allegedly rented uninhabitable apartments and has collected rents and deposits. These illegal activities seem to have been part of a planned approach to benefit from the state aid programs that were made available after the flood disaster.

The allegations not only aim at the requested funds, but also on an expert who was deceived by the brothers, which led to false reports. This had only briefly seen the affected real estate and was therefore unable to give a realistic assessment of the damage. The defenders of the two brothers have already announced that their clients want to get involved, which indicates a possibly complex and lengthy process.

future procedures and effects

The trial against the brothers is scheduled until May 2025 and is expected to raise further complex legal questions. The case not only illuminates the handling of auxiliary payments according to natural disasters, but also highlights the challenges associated with the review of such applications. The authorities are faced with the urgent need to maintain the integrity of the aid system and at the same time ensure that the funds actually benefit the needy.