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He escaped, disguised himself as an Orthodox priest and spent years spying for the Russian secret service: New international investigation suggests that ex-Wirecard manager Jan Marsalek (43) was involved in criminal activities. The allegations against the Austrian are serious.
The Wirecard scandal is one of the largest economic scandals in Germany. In the summer of 2020, a multi-billion dollar fraud case tore Wirecard into the depths. The board of the financial services provider moved to Russia after the bankruptcy. Since then there has been a worldwide search for him.
Identity assumed by Orthodox priest
Research by ZDF, “Spiegel”, “Standard” and the Russian research platform “Insider” now shows: Marsalek is said to have lived in Russia disguised as an Orthodox priest since 2020. As a priest, Marsalek would have had the name “Konstantin Bayazov”. A priest named Konstantin Bayazov actually lives in the Russian city of Lipetsk. According to ZDF frontal, Marsalek and the priest are of the same age and look quite similar. Apparently he has assumed his identity. A search of a Russian passport database also revealed that the priest’s passport file was changed in September 2020 and the passport was given a new number – so the document was likely forged.
According to the reports, Marsalek had been integrated into Russian spy networks for years. But how did he come into contact with the secret services? In 2014, Marsalek reportedly met Stanislaw Petlinski, a former employee of Moscow’s presidential administration with excellent contacts in the Russian security apparatus.
Was Marsalek a security risk for Wirecard?
Petlinski told “Spiegel” that he had introduced Marsalek to several Russian decision-makers. However, he does not believe that Marsalek works for the Russian secret services. But: “He is obsessed with the world of espionage.”
In 2018, Marsalek is said to have had several contacts with men who previously worked for the Austrian Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. They allegedly provided Marsalek with information about people who were not wanted by the Kremlin, such as journalists. Special investigators from the Austrian Office for the Protection of the Constitution accuse the men of spying for Marsalek. “The intensive investigations confirm the suspicion and point to an intelligence network that is well established in Austria and operates around the still fugitive Austrian citizen Jan Marsalek,” the special investigators write.
Following the latest developments, security circles are expressing concern that Wirecard data could have flowed to foreign services.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
