Judge Refuses New Evidence in Mannessmann Trial

Observers of the Mannesmann trial are convinced that a court ruling is imminent after the regional court in Düsseldorf rejected five requests by the prosecutor to hear more witnesses and introduce new documents. The court rejected the requests in part because "they are redundant or don't serve to prove the case," Head Judge Brigitte Koppenhoefer said. She reiterated her statement from the preliminary ruling in March by adding there were "no relevant indications of the guilt of the defendants.'' The decisions suggest the court has already reached a final opinion on most parts of the allegations against six former Mannesmann executives accused of accepting disproportional management bonuses.