First Conviction in €80 Million VAT Fraud Involving Luxury Cars in Germany

• Former notary convicted for forgery and false notarisations in an €80 million VAT fraud case
• Investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Berlin
• Complex network involved luxury cars and medical face masks traded through shell companies in multiple countries
• Defendants used people in economic difficulty as straw men
• Main suspects forged signatures with the help of the notary and a tax advisor
• Notary deliberately notarised transfers based on forged signatures
• Defendant sentenced to two years of imprisonment, suspended on probation
• Confiscation of notary fees ordered
• Judgment for other defendants expected in April
• EPPO is responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes against the financial interests of the EU.

Source: eppo.europa.eu

Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.

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