Jürgen Fitschen

In September 2025, Syntellix AG filed a 68-million-euro action before the Landgericht Hannover against its former supervisory board member Jürgen Fitschen and another former director. The company accuses them of participating in a plan to destabilise the business, prompt criminal complaints and a media campaign, and ultimately drive Syntellix towards insolvency. The court confirmed receipt of the complaint to the press.

Attribution

Accused

Fitschen was indicted in 2014 alongside several former Deutsche Bank executives for attempted litigation fraud in the Kirch proceedings. He denied lying or misleading the court. The Munich court acquitted him in 2016, and the acquittal became final following the Federal Court's decision in 2019.

Attribution

Accused

British and New York regulators sanctioned Deutsche Bank in 2017 for serious AML deficiencies linked to Russian 'mirror trades', a scheme involving approximately 10 billion dollars that operated during part of Fitschen's tenure as co-CEO.

State of the evidence

Documented

In December 2012, Fitschen was investigated in the CO₂ certificate VAT fraud scandal, notably because he had signed a Deutsche Bank VAT return for 2009. The bank's headquarters were searched. In 2016, prosecutors closed the investigation concerning him.

Attribution

Directly implicated

Under Fitschen, Deutsche Bank chose to retain investment products linked to agricultural commodities following an internal review. Foodwatch and other NGOs strongly criticised the decision, arguing that financial speculation could worsen food crises and describing certain dialogue initiatives as mere public relations exercises.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Direct responsibility

In April 2015, Deutsche Bank reached major US and British settlements over manipulation of LIBOR and other benchmark rates. Fitschen was co-CEO at the time, and the penalty worsened the management's reputational crisis.

State of the evidence

Settlement

In 2015, Deutsche Bank agreed to pay approximately 258 million dollars to US authorities over historical transactions circumventing sanctions concerning, notably, Iran, Syria, Libya and Sudan. The settlement occurred while Fitschen was co-CEO, although the main period of conduct was principally 1999–2006.

State of the evidence

Settlement

At the 2015 general meeting, approximately 39 % of shareholders refused to grant discharge to management, an exceptionally strong vote of no confidence within the DAX. Shortly afterwards, Deutsche Bank announced the early departure of Anshu Jain and Jürgen Fitschen, with Fitschen remaining until the following general meeting at the supervisory board's request.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Direct responsibility

In autumn 2015, Deutsche Bank detailed Strategy 2020, which envisaged approximately 9 000 internal job cuts, 6 000 fewer contractors and a major reduction of the branch network. John Cryan presented the plan, but Fitschen remained co-CEO during the transition and therefore shared institutional responsibility for the period.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Shared responsibility

Following the high-profile search of Deutsche Bank, Fitschen called Hesse Minister-President Volker Bouffier to complain about what he considered disproportionate damage to the bank's reputation. The call prompted cross-party criticism over a possible attempt to exert political influence on the judiciary.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility