He is expected to be on 5. March heard, a judicial spokesman said at the request of the Catholic News Agency (KNA).
In addition, there will be more negotiation days than planned. Instead of the originally scheduled 39, 59 dates are now estimated – from 8. January to 20. August.
"The further dates are due to the scope of the proceedings," the spokesman explained.
The start of the trial scheduled for Thursday before the 10. Criminal Chamber of the Regional Court of Munich II is the culmination of the legal investigation of the financial scandal in the diocese of Eichstätt.
Two accused have to answer for themselves: the former vice-finance director of the diocese and a US real estate developer.
The former vice-finance director is accused of infidelity in 22 cases and bribery in 24 cases, as well as tax evasion, according to justice spokesman. His companion is charged with 25 cases of bribery, 24 cases of incitement to infidelity, and five cases of infidelity. The two accused were in custody in the meantime.
The diocese has also brought civil action against the US real estate developer before the Ingolstadt District Court.
However, this civil case is currently suspended because of the Munich criminal proceedings.
Risky investment of 60 million dollars
The financial scandal of the diocese of Eichstätt deals with investments from Eichstätter diocese assets in US real estate projects in the years 2014 to 2016.
Reserves of almost 60 million US dollars had been invested in high-risk. The now emeritus bishop Hanke made the scandal public in early 2018.
The summer before, Hanke had turned on external auditors and lawyers and filed a complaint.
At times, the bishop, who has been retired since Pentecost 2025, was also in the sights of the investigators; however, the prosecution stopped the proceedings.
As a result of the scandal, the diocese revised its investment guidelines. Today, external service providers take care of the investments.
So far, the diocese has recovered about half of the investment.