The fugitive former manager of German financial services firm Wirecard is now also wanted by British prosecutors on suspicion of conducting espionage on Russia's behalf. He's already being tried in absentia in Germany.The public prosecutor's office in London said on Tuesday that former Wirecard chief operating officer Jan Marsalek was wanted on suspicion of spying for Russia.

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German news outlet Der Spiegel had first reported the development, citing sources in the prosecution service, shortly before Tuesday's announcement.

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Marsalek's ties to Russia are well known and German authorities, currently trying him in absentia in connection with Wirecard's collapse in 2020, believed he fled to Minsk and probably later Russia as prosecutors closed in on him that summer.

Wirecard rapidly went insolvent in mid-2020 as a series of corrupt business practices and cases of fraudulent reporting were unearthed, showing the lender to have reported having almost €2 billion in assets that were not in fact in its possession and were "missing."

Marsalek's contacts to Russia have made him a person of interest for at least three different intelligence agencies since 2020.

He is currently being tried in absentia in Munich.

More to follow...

msh/fb (dpa)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 26, 2023 05:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).