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Bjorn Strehl, the spouse of OneCoin inventor Ruja Ignatova, is being investigated by German authorities. Despite being linked to OneCoin’s fraudulent actions, Streh has managed to stay out of the spotlight until now. According to Himmelheber for NRWZ on May 30th, “(Ruja’s) spouse was not harassed by the authorities.”
It’s incredible, especially considering Ignatova, a Schramberg native, has been on Interpol and Europol’s Most Wanted lists since May 11.
However, it appears that investigations are now working against him.
It’s a case of money laundering.
The amount is estimated to be roughly 7.7 million euros.
According to Himmelheber, German authorities began an investigation into Strehl in August 2021. 7.69 million euros was moved from Ruja to Strehl from a Hong Kong account, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors believe the funds are linked to OneCoin. In January, raids were carried out in connection with the inquiry into Strehl. Because of the ongoing nature of the inquiry, we only know that 60,000 euros have been seized so far.
“The very intricate investigations are expected to continue for several months,” said Chief Public Prosecutor Hartmann. “There is still a lot of evidence to assess, especially in terms of storage media,” says the report.
When asked if [Strehl] had previously commented on the charges, Hartmann responded that the accused was represented by a lawyer. “A statement on the topic has yet to be received.”
Himmelheber attempted to reach Strehl, but he did not answer.
It’s unknown whether Strehl is of interest to US authorities. Ruja Ignatova was indicted by a grand jury in the United States in 2017. Last month, she was placed on Interpol’s “red notice” list. Strehl is suspected of making a lot of money off of OneCoin’s Ponzi scheme.
He has, nevertheless, managed to stay out of jail thus far. Strehl’s participation in OneCoin may finally be catching up to him.
