Moscow plotting to remove German Chancellor

Russia intends to trigger the sacking of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, exploiting certain details of a four-year-old financial row involving a Russian intelligence asset. We believe Moscow is unlikely to be currently betting on any specific replacement on the top government post. The most probable goal the Kremlin is pursuing is to sow chaos in Germany’s public administration system.

To this end, Russia plans to draw public focus back to the fraud case that unfolded in 2020 involving Wirecard AG and its Chief Operating Officer Jan Marsalek, an Austrian national, eventually exposed as a Russian intelligence asset who has since found shelter in Moscow. Since Olaf Scholz was at the helm of the economy ministry at the time and in charge of the financial regulator that ultimately failed to spot the most massive fraud scheme in German history since World War 2, the Russians seek to once again accuse Scholz (who initially denied any accusations) through their political lobby and intelligence outreach, bolstering allegations with certain forged documents, prepared with the participation of Jan Marsalek – all in order to add credibility to their claims.

Jan Marsalek, dubbed by some as “the world’s most wanted man”, is connected with the sudden collapse of Wirecard AG.

Wirecard (est. 1999) was a German provider of financial services, such as mobile phone payment processing and other electronic payment transaction systems. The company also issued physical and virtual credit and pre-paid cards. But on June 25, 2020 the company declared insolvency, after an audit revealed that nearly €2 billion ($2.3 billion) in cash deposits were missing from its accounts. Soon afterwards the company’s shares lost over 70 percent of their value and its management team, including its chief executive officer, Markus Braun, stepped down. Braun was eventually arrested. But Marsalek, who had worked as Wirecard’s chief operating officer since 2010, was nowhere to be found. 

During his time in office, Marsalek likely worked as a Russian military intelligence agent. The fugitive former manager of German financial services firm Wirecard has been accused by British prosecutors of involvement in conducting espionage on Russia’s behalf. He’s already being tried in absentia in Germany.

The Austrian businessman is said to have been a contact person for the oldest of the five people arrested, who is accused of organizing and managing the cell’s operations.

Marsalek made contacts with Russian intelligence through the Austrian-Russian Friendship Society. Among his associates were former GRU Colonel Andrey Chuprygin – an Arabist and military interpreter. A company linked to Marsalek was used by the Wagner Group, according to the Financial Times.

Also, a member of a cell consisting of five Bulgarian nationals, accused of surveilling and reporting on people and places of interest to Russia within the UK, reportedly had Marsalek as a contact person.

Marsalek’s communications with the 45-year-old man were said to concern obtaining military equipment on behalf of Russia, the provision of espionage tools, communication interception and “arranging physical surveillance and hostile activity against targets of the Russian state,” according to the prosecution. Marsalek’s ties to Russia were 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.In May 2021, the German BND assessed that Marselek remained near Moscow. The Russian government claimed it was unaware of Marsalek’s location. Marsalek obtained Russian citizenship and had at least two forged Russian passports in 2021. He has reportedly been provided with personal security by the FSB’s 6^th Service.