Wind-farm fraudster Hendrik Holt arrested in Dubai – fled via Poland and Turkey
Convicted fraudster Hendrik Holt has been apprehended in Dubai following an international manhunt. The Osnabrück public prosecutor's office is planning extradition through diplomatic channels.
Arrest in Dubai following international manhunt
Convicted wind-farm fraudster Hendrik Holt has been arrested in Dubai. As ndr.de reports, the prosecutor's office confirmed the arrest of the 36-year-old, who absconded unnoticed in Berlin at the end of August during a period of furlough. Holt remains in the United Arab Emirates, according to a spokesman for the authorities. An international manhunt had been launched after his escape.
Flight route via Poland and Turkey
According to NDR information, Holt initially fled via Poland to Turkey and from there onwards to Dubai. On social networks he had stated that he was staying in Russia – a deliberate deception, as the prosecutor's office made clear. "The alleged stay in Russia was a feint," a spokesman told NDR Niedersachsen. According to the authorities, they had already been aware of his presence in the Emirates.
Questions about security during furlough
The case raises the question of how a convicted offender managed to travel to a non-European country. Ordinarily, furloughed prisoners have their travel documents confiscated. Whether this also occurred in Holt's case, the Berlin Senate for Justice refused to answer when asked by NDR.
Extradition planned through diplomatic channels
The United Arab Emirates has signed a mutual legal assistance agreement with Germany, but it does not cover extraditions. The Osnabrück public prosecutor's office is therefore planning to pursue an extradition request without a treaty through diplomatic channels. Holt's previous lawyer declined to confirm whether he continues to represent him.
Holt need not fear a new criminal trial for his escape: absconding from custody or fleeing during a furlough is not a criminal offence in Germany, according to the prosecutor's office.
Conviction and creditors' demands
The Osnabrück Regional Court sentenced Holt on 12 May 2022 to seven years and six months imprisonment for organised and commercial fraud. The 36-year-old from Haselünne in the Emsland had defrauded investors with questionable wind-farm projects. Creditors are now demanding a total of 40 million euros. In the days following his escape, posts of so-called "greetings from Moscow" were made on social networks via an account believed to belong to Holt.
Source: Google News DE — Crime (de)