1.35 million euros in question - Schlecker family facing bankruptcy scandal for the second time
Anton Schlecker's children and wife were ordered by a court in Zwickau, Saxony, to pay 1.35 million euros due to shady financial transactions in the past. This decision was announced recently.
The case, numbered 4 O 322/16, revolves around a personnel agency and a loan the Schlecker family received from this agency in 2011. "Meniar", the Zwickau-based business that acts as a personnel agency, transferred a total of 1.35 million euros to the drugstore chain. This money was supposedly transferred shortly before the insolvency process began.
The personnel agency hired temporary workers for the Schlecker company at the time, and a straw man managed the company on behalf of the Schlecker family. Now, along with Meike (50), Lars (52), and Christa Schlecker (76), the aforementioned straw man is required to pay back the loan as well as the accumulating interest. This judgement, however, is not legally binding yet.
Background: Personnel agency for temporary workers
"Meniar" was established in 2008 to hire former Schlecker employees after their dismissal. These individuals were then hired as temporary workers for significantly less pay. This method, also known as the "revolving door effect," was deemed illegal by a 2011 law against the exploitation of temporary work. This law is commonly referred to as the "Lex Schlecker."
Impact: Drugstore chain bankruptcy
The drugstore chain once had over 50,000 employees and nearly 14,000 stores across Europe. Anton Schlecker, the drugstore magnate, was among the wealthiest individuals in Germany despite the financial hardships faced by his company. In 2012, the company went bankrupt, causing the loss of approximately 25,000 jobs, predominantly held by women. During bankruptcy proceedings, Lars and Meike Schlecker received sentences for embezzlement, insolvency, bankruptcy, and aiding and abetting bankruptcy for their roles in their father's actions. They were granted early release from prison in 2021. Anton Schlecker, meanwhile, was sentenced to a probationary sentence, while the trials against his wife were halted for a fee.
Lars and Meike Schlecker are presently appealing their sentences.
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Source: symclub.org
