HANOVER: Former German president Christian Wulff launched a spirited defence at the start of his influence-peddling trial yesterday, saying the accusation that cost him his job may haunt him for the rest of his life.
Wulff, the only German former head of state to face charges in court, voiced indignation at the claims against him, demanded “justice” and said that “the personal damage that I and my family have suffered will stay, probably a lifetime.”
Wearing the Federal Cross of Merit on his lapel, Wulff, 54, confidently vowed to restore his honour after he was forced to step down in disgrace in February 2012 amid personal turmoil that also saw him separate from his wife within a year.
Speaking earlier outside court, he signalled hopes for a return to public life after his months of relative seclusion, saying he would like to dedicate himself again “to the issues that have always been close to my heart”.
Wulff faces a charge of accepting favours while in office that, compared to political scandals elsewhere, may seem trifling. Many commentators, however, say the trial proves that no public official stands above the law.
If found guilty, the former largely ceremonial head of state theoretically faces up to three years in jail or a fine. The one-time conservative rising star is accused of having allowed a film producer friend to pay some of his travel expenses during a 2008 Munich visit while he was state premier of Lower Saxony, in return for helping him promote a movie project. AFP
