“There is a lawyer with a German whore”

Others become insurance brokers, open an ear, nose and throat practice or spend their lives interpreting Leonard Cohen texts; a free society allows free career choice.

Valentin Landmann became an environmental lawyer.

Judging by the media reports about him, he seems to have rented this label exclusively for himself, even invented it.

Nowadays everyone is talking about the 72-year-old again, ever since he started an affair in Zurich about confidential data of the cantonal judicial authorities that had been clumsily deleted and fell into dubious hands.

Much has been written about the origins of the criminal lawyer, who has been a member of the cantonal parliament for the SVP for three years: Coming from a middle-class family in St. Gallen, where he once politicized for the FDP, initially pursued an academic career before during his studies in Hamburg (D) he began to irritate the demimonde of St. Pauli more than the habilitation thesis that had begun.

But how the man with the watch strap, who recently refused to shake hands with SP government councilor Jacqueline Fehr (59), managed to get a foothold in the red light of Zurich, always remained a mystery.

“I made Landmann great”

Now that era is being shed light on by another prominent figure of the time: Reinhard “Reini” Lutz (67), known throughout Switzerland as the “Snow King”, once belonged to the highest class in the drug trade, controlled large parts of the local cocaine trade – and was Landmann’s client. Lutz says, “I made Landmann great.”

Lutz is currently still serving his sentence in Cazis GR. In his cell he wrote the manuscript for a new book on the history of addictive substances in Switzerland: “Drogenfeuer Schweiz”.

Valentin Landmann is also honored in it. The passages are available for SonntagsBlick. The author describes in detail how Landmann’s brilliant career started.

The scene was on the corner of Militarstrasse and Langstrasse. There Lutz and his associates owned the infamous Piccolo Giardino, where the items changed hands at the same time.

The deal came about in symbiosis with a well-known rock club: “My partners were also the Hells Angels. I with my hashish and cocaine and she with the street prostitution.” The motorcyclists are said to have controlled prostitution; a pimp had to give them 100 francs per woman per day: “So we controlled the entire district four, so Langstrasse, as well as Zurich.”

He wanted to be in the environment

On a sultry evening in the early eighties, the almost 30-year-old farmer took the stage. Back from Hamburg, with a university career cut short and determined to be part of the environment.

The Zurich cocaine lord and his accomplices, including Black, the then Hells Angels president, sat in the garden of their pub. Suddenly a young rocker came storming up: “On the military road there is a lawyer with a German whore.” To which Black ordered him: “Bring him here!

At least that’s how Lutz tells it. «Valentin introduced himself to us and asked if he could work for us as a lawyer. We told him to examine him first.” When the bosses gave the green light after two weeks, “Valentin was very happy”.

The rituals in the circle included minor contempt, which even Landmann felt, despite the skull and crossbones and leather jacket. “Every Wednesday the Hells Angels met in the clubhouse and Valentin had to wait outside. Only then was he called up.”

Fascinated by his new friends, Landmann adopted their lifestyle – but with good reason, according to Lutz: “He even got his motorcycle license and bought a Harley. How he passed the exam is a mystery to all of us. I have never in my life seen such a bad biker.”

Landmann never received full ordination. “He wanted to become a member of the club, but this was rejected.” Later he was allowed to chair the Supporter Club.

When asked, Landmann first points out that the stories in question go back many decades. On the non-membership he says: “Hells Angels membership was indeed a problem at one point, but Black, the president at the time, felt it would be better for the club if I kept my independence. He then left the choice to me, which I voluntarily did not.”

«A win-win situation»

Landmann was of great help to Lutz and his buddies: “It was a win-win situation. If anyone was arrested, we immediately sent Dr. farmer for him. He was our firefighter. (…) He quickly became known as a great advocate of the environment. He made a big name for himself, kept coming back to television and he really liked it.” What does fire department mean – did the lawyer act as a postman for Lutz’s dealer network between inside and outside?

Landmann dismisses it: “I was not a postman in any way. But it is true that sometimes people were sent to me. If there was a collision, I said no.”

The motorcycle club has always denied being a criminal organization. Prosecutors were never able to prove the organized crime charge. For Lutz and his thugs, Landmann was the hub for information and contacts. “He also referred clients to me when they were arrested and then released. So he came to me and introduced me to the client and I did business with those people and he got his commission.”

Lutz also emphasizes that the lawyer himself has never had anything to do with drugs; instead, Landmann was much more “enthusiastic about my many legal dealings”, as Lutz claims, “he helped me where he could”.

Later, the criminal lawyer, whose companions testify to a high level of intelligence, went his own way. The detainee only criticizes Landmann’s most recent maneuver – the involvement of longtime senior prosecutor Markus Oertle. He sees the spectacular change of camp as proof of Landmann’s agility; the latter, in turn, is proud of his asset to the office.

With a hint of bitterness, Lutz writes, “In the beginning, Valentin needed me until he grew up.”