Thomas Book, a board member at Deutsche Börse, has received favorable news regarding an investigation into Cum-Ex transactions. Michael Gubitz and Ole-Steffen Lucke, Book’s lawyers, informed the “Handelsblatt” that the Cologne Public Prosecutor’s Office has discontinued the investigative proceedings against the manager as of September 15. The case was dropped under Paragraph 170, Section 2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, meaning there was a lack of sufficient suspicion, and consequently, no conditions were imposed.
Gubitz and Lucke explained that the decision followed extensive investigations. In its justification, the Public Prosecutor’s Office detailed that no evidence pointed to any criminal actions, and therefore no suspicion of wrongdoing remained against Book. They asserted that the newly available justification provides complete clarity and fully absolves Book.
The Cologne Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the proceedings had been halted. The “Handelsblatt” had previously reported on the ongoing investigation against Book in the summer of 2023. At the time, the 55-year-old was being considered as a potential successor to CEO Theodor Weimer. However, at the end of 2024, his board colleague Stephan Leithner took over the CEO position.
