Overview

• The 35-year-old defendant faces 92 charges, including 47 counts of aggravated bribery and 44 counts of false certification
• Prosecutors allege he built a network using shishabars, restaurants and hair salons to recruit clients and forward documents to an insider
• Investigators say the scheme charged €2,000 to €7,500 per illegal license, with the intermediary earning about €160,000 and other brokers at least €400 each
• A December 2021 search of the defendant’s home uncovered secret recordings of police conversations that prosecutors plan to present at trial
• A separate case against the former licensing official, accused of issuing at least 112 licenses without exams, is set to begin on August 20