Despite the bankruptcy 2024 and the transition to the license model, the Saga around the fashion group Esprit continues to end.
The public prosecutor’s office in Düsseldorf is now investigating the clothing giant. A spokesman for the authority confirmed to Fashionunited on Friday that the public prosecutor’s office affirmed an initial suspicion of punishable behavior. Manager Magazin had previously reported on the investigation.
Speculations are piling up
It has not yet been known for who the suspicion is directed and what specific allegations are being examined. However, it could possibly be bankruptcy, tax issues and displacements. For months, renowned business law firms are said to have evaluated around 400 terabytes of data on behalf of the Lucas Flöther administrator. There have been evidence that indicate bankruptcy, tax violations, tax violations and wealth shifts, reports the Manager Magazin. Investigators are currently examining: inside which people could actually have made the criminal decisions.
One of the processes identified by Flöther and his team are that Esprit Europe Services GmbH and Esprit Europe GmbH apparently transferred shares and trademark rights to the United States in November and December 2023. From there, the rights to the British Virgin Islands are said to have reached a company called Million Success Resources Limited. At the time of the transfer at the end of 2023, the headquarters in Germany may have already been insolvent. In the spring of 2024, according to insider information, tax credit of German companies is also said to have been transferred abroad. In addition, data records indicate that a payment of more than 15 million euros is said to have flowed to Esprit from a long -term legal dispute.
According to insider information, Flöther is expected to be submitted to civil action shortly before the Düsseldorf District Court in order to assert funds for the creditors.
Note D. Red.: Fashionunited asked the Düsseldorf public prosecutor, the Flöther & Wissing law firm and a spokesman for Esprit for comment.