Real estate: Court sees risk of absconding – Uwe Reppegather remains in custody

Dusseldorf. Düsseldorf real estate entrepreneur Uwe Reppegather, who is suspected of fraud and bankruptcy, remains in custody. The Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court decided this after a detention review, as a spokeswoman confirmed to the Handelsblatt when asked. The court therefore sees Reppegather as still being under urgent suspicion and at risk of absconding.

Reppegather was arrested at the end of March in a large-scale raid on the family property in Ibiza. Although he was released in Spain shortly afterwards, he was arrested again when he returned to Germany in April and has been in custody ever since. After six months of imprisonment, an examination is stipulated within the statutory deadlines to determine whether there is still a reason for detention.

Reppegather has long been one of the most powerful players in the German real estate industry. Spectacular luxury projects on the Düsseldorfer Kö and Berlin's Ku'damm made him rich and earned him nicknames such as "Wolf of High Street" or "King of the Kö".

In 2023 he suffered a billion-dollar bankruptcy. The public prosecutor suspects him of having moved assets on a large scale as part of the bankruptcy. The alleged damage is said to be in the double-digit million range.

In the past few months, the situation for Reppegather had apparently become even more serious. The arrest warrant against the entrepreneur is said to have recently been expanded. According to information from Handelsblatt, investigators now suspect him of alleged crimes in 19 cases. At the center of the allegations are, among other things, a luxury property on Ibiza and valuable sports cars that are said to have been transferred within the family.

According to insider circles, the pressure on Reppegather has recently increased. One reason for this is said to be, among other things, incriminating statements made by his brother Wolfgang. He was also in custody for a while, but has been free again for some time. Wolfgang Reppegather and his lawyer did not respond to questions about this. Uwe Reppegather's defense attorney Björn Gercke did not want to comment.

Reppegather had only brought Gercke to his side as a new defense attorney around two months ago and separated from the Bonn lawyer Karsten Randt. Reppegather expects the change of lawyer to provide new impetus, it was said. Randt's relationship with the Düsseldorf public prosecutor's office was recently considered tense.