Fugitive Wirecard COO Discovered in Moscow, Allegedly Collaborating with Russian Intelligence Under Fake Identity

A former executive of Wirecard, who has been evading capture since the company’s collapse in 2020, is reportedly living in Moscow under a false identity and collaborating with Russian intelligence, according to an international media investigation released on Tuesday.

Jan Marsalek, a 45-year-old Austrian who held the position of chief operating officer at the German digital payments company, has been sought by German authorities on fraud allegations and is listed on Interpol’s wanted list.

The investigation, conducted by a collaboration of Der Standard, Der Spiegel, ZDF, PBS, and The Insider, claims that Marsalek is residing in Russia using the name Alexander Nelidov, maintaining close connections with the FSB, Russia’s security agency.

According to Der Standard, «Under this alias, he is believed to have operated in Ukraine, established companies in Moscow, and moves around freely within Russia.»

Leaked information has tracked Marsalek’s phone near the FSB’s headquarters in Moscow numerous times between January and November 2024. Additionally, his phone was detected near the home of another Russian operative, with whom he reportedly has personal ties.

Images purportedly depicting Marsalek in Moscow, including one in military attire featuring the pro-war “Z” emblem, indicate that he might have been involved in fighting in Ukraine. He is also alleged to have visited annexed Crimea five times, as well as Mariupol and other active conflict areas.

The investigation revealed that Marsalek acquired Russian citizenship under the name Nelidov in 2023; however, there is no record of anyone by that name existing in Ukraine or at the listed Moscow address in his documents.

Using his alias, Marsalek formed two companies in Moscow, one specializing in auto parts and the other in agricultural goods.

Wirecard collapsed in June 2020 after auditors disclosed that €1.9 billion ($2.3 billion) supposedly held in trustee accounts in Asia did not actually exist. This incident stands as one of Germany’s most significant corporate fraud scandals.

The company’s former CEO, Markus Braun, along with other high-ranking executives, is currently facing trial in Munich.

Marsalek has also been associated with Russian espionage networks overseas. Earlier this year, six Bulgarians convicted of espionage in the UK were said in court to have reported to him as a liaison with Russian intelligence.

This operation was directed at monitoring individuals and locations of interest to the Russian government.