Germany Munich - Swiss 'gigolo' admits blackmail
Swiss 'gigolo' admits blackmail
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2009/03/203.jpg There has been huge media interest in the trial
A Swiss man has pleaded guilty to seducing several rich women in order to swindle them out of millions of dollars, at a trial in Munich, Germany.
Helg Sgarbi - nicknamed by the media as the Swiss Gigolo - faces up to 10 years in prison for fraud and extortion.
His most prominent victim was Susanne Klatten, the heiress of the German car manufacturer BMW.
Sgarbi told the court he deeply regretted his actions and apologised to his victims.
Prosecutors say Mrs Klatten, a married business tycoon who owns a 12.5% stake in BMW, gave Helg Sgarbi nearly $9m, but went to the police after he tried to blackmail her.
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2005/11/91.jpg HELG SGARBI
Originally called Russak, he was first reported to the police by an 83-year old countess, who said he had seduced and persuaded her to hand over several million Euros.
She later dropped the charges and has since died, while he changed his name to Sgarbi.
Sgarbi has been described by police as a smooth operator who knew how to win the trust of his victims and is alleged to have connections with criminal gangs.
He told the women he targeted he was a "special Swiss representative in crisis zones", which accounted for his sudden disappearances
He told several of the women, including Mrs Klatten, that he needed money to pay off the family of a child he had run over in Florida.
He is said to have not spoken about the cases since his arrest "out of respect to the ladies concerned".
The reclusive 46-year-old mother-of-three said he secretly videoed them having sex in a Munich hotel and threatened to make the tape public if he did not receive another $18m.
The BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Munich says there has been a huge amount of media attention on the trial, which is being described as one of the most remarkable and sensational in German judicial history.
Sgarbi was surrounded by photographers as he entered the courtroom but sat expressionless while the charges against him were read out.
Three of the women were referred to by the initials H, S and R to protect their identities, while Mrs Klatten was listed by name.
Sgarbi's lawyer then told the court the accusations were basically accurate.
Before the trial, Sgarbi had been expected to face a sentence of up to 10 years, but the feeling is it will be reduced because of his guilty plea, our correspondent says.
