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Augsburg (dpa) - In a process for fraud with care services in the millions, a couple face long prison sentences.

The couple and three other defendants have had to answer for the allegations before the Augsburg district court since Wednesday.

They are said to have systematically cheated care funds and social assistance providers for more than seven years with inadmissibly billed care services, the damage amounts to almost 3.3 million euros, according to the investigators.

As it became known at the beginning of the negotiation, there was a preliminary meeting of those involved in the process a few weeks ago.

Accordingly, the public prosecutor's office sees an eight to nine-year prison sentence for the 43-year-old main defendant as justified.

According to the prosecutors, the wife's husband should only be kept in custody for a slightly shorter period of time.

The 43-year-old was previously at the center of criminal proceedings as managing director of another nursing service.

That is why she is said to have installed a student living in Spain as a straw man at the head of the new company for the new provider started in early 2012.

In fact, however, the woman was the boss, according to the indictment.

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The investigators accuse the five suspects of having billed for outpatient care services that were not provided at all or not in full.

The couple is in custody, and arrest warrants have been suspended for two other defendants.

According to the defense attorney, the five defendants, a total of three women and two men, will comment on the allegations at a later date during the hearing.

The Munich I public prosecutor's office had conducted several similar proceedings and, after extensive investigations, indicted those responsible for three nursing services from Munich and Augsburg at the beginning of 2021.

In Augsburg there is an indictment in another case, as well as an indictment with the district court of Munich I. In these two cases it is also about inadmissibly billed care services in the millions.

In these cases, however, the criminal chambers have not yet set any dates for the trials.

In the case that has already been negotiated, it is about the fact that the assessment of patients by the Medical Service of the Health Insurance (MDK) is said to have been manipulated by the accused.

The MDK usually determines the care level of an affected person during a home visit, and the health insurers then issue a corresponding notification.

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According to the indictment, the accused had briefed relatives of the patients what they should say to the MDK experts.

In one case, a woman is said to have been given a strong sedative to calm her down during the MDK examination.

According to the public prosecutor's office, some of the alleged care cases had also participated in the alleged fraud.

The nursing service is said to have supplied a man with rolls and the daily newspaper every day, and he also received an envelope with cash every month.

In addition to the nursing staff who have already been accused, many patients and doctors are also threatened with criminal consequences.

As the public prosecutor reported when the three charges were brought, there are still ongoing proceedings against around 100 other suspects in the various investigative complexes.

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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210414-99-201719 / 2

Notice from the public prosecutor's office to bring charges