Investigations against Fynn Kliemann are stopped against payment of money

The investigation against Fynn Kliemann is discontinued according to paragraph 153a StPO and ends with a cash payment of 20,000 euros for charity for the influencer. The "Business Insider" reported first, and the "Spiegel" reported on a possible setting a few weeks ago. According to information from WELT, the public prosecutor's office does not consider the suspicion of fraud to be substantiated. However, an offense of “criminal advertising” (i.e. unfair advertising) comes into consideration, for which there is sufficient suspicion.

Reasons for the hiring are therefore also the considerable media publicity - i.e. prejudice - which would have damaged Kliemann's reputation and the fact that Kliemann has no criminal record. The public prosecutor's office assessed Kliemann's behavior as "vulnerable" from a moral point of view, but the offense of criminal fraud was not fulfilled.

"I am very happy about the decision," said Kliemann WELT in a written statement. "Realizing that the allegations of fraud that were leveled against me are false was and is very important to me personally." But regardless of that, he "didn't do everything right," he said. "I talked everything nice to myself, lost focus and made the wrong decisions." The past few months have been "mentally and entrepreneurially tough" for him. “One of the consequences of public prejudice was that I had to let go of several talented and loyal employees. A lot will change now, but we can start again. I'm ready for that – and grateful.”

Christian Schertz, Kliemann's press attorney, told WELT: "The result shows that, unfortunately, as far as the allegations of fraud are concerned, as is not uncommon in such cases, there has been media prejudice and stigmatization, although the allegations subsequently proved to be untenable have proven.”

In May 2022, Kliemann was criticized for a TV report by ZDF satirist Jan Böhmermann. At the time, the ZDF Magazin Royale suggested, among other things, that Kliemann and his partner during the pandemic had deliberately concealed the origin of the protective masks he was advertising or had advertised with “fair masks” from Europe. A large part is said to have come from Asia instead. The prosecutor's investigation cast some doubt on these allegations. Business documents submitted would suggest that 1.8 million masks came from Portugal, although Asian masks were offered through Kliemann's business partners, about which Kliemann was also informed.

Paragraph 153a StPO is similar to that of insignificance (paragraph 153) and can only be applied to misdemeanors, but not to crimes. The prerequisite for the public prosecutor's office to drop the proceedings is that the court and the accused come to an agreement and the accused adheres to the conditions, in this case the payment of 20,000 euros. Kliemann has already made the payment, as he told WELT.