Germany: White Collar Crime, Anti-Corruption & Fraud

Two brothers in Germany have pleaded guilty mid-trial to breaching EU sanctions against Russia by shipping engineering and industrial equipment valued at €830,000 between 2023 and 2024. As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, both defendants have accepted four-year custodial sentences, with the court's verdict still pending while their father faces separate prosecution for related offenses.

Two brothers face trial for allegedly orchestrating 65 mechanical engineering exports to Russia valued at approximately €833,000 by concealing the true destination through shell companies in Turkey and Kyrgyzstan.

On 29 April 2026, the German Cabinet adopted a draft bill implementing Directive (EU) 2024/1203 on the protection of the environment through criminal law (the Environmental Crimes Directive).

Niall Hearty of Rahman Ravelli details the decision-making process that led to the German city becoming the base for AMLA.

Angelika Hellweger of financial crime specialists Rahman Ravelli outlines the changes Germany plans to make to how it tackles money laundering.

On 28 June 2023, the European Commission (the Commission) published a package of legislative proposals to propel payments and the wider financial services sector further into the digital age.

In the latest development of the Dieselgate scandal, former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn will stand trial in Germany for fraud, tax evasion and breaching competition laws.

The CumEx scandal has been the focus of international public attention ever since the publication of the so-called CumEx files.

German criminal law so far does not provide for corporate criminal liability. Corporations can only be fined under the law on administrative offenses, and the government has discretion to impose such fines.