Supermodel Nadja Auermann Faces €270K Tax Evasion Charges

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Supermodel Nadja Auermann appeared in District Court in Berlin this morning for the first day of trial in a tax evasion case. Auermann, along with her ex-husband, soap actor Wolfram Grandezka, have been indicted for failing to pay taxes on their income from 1999 to 2002. Reports peg the estimated amount owed at €270,000. The trial is expected to last three days.

German business newspaper the Handelsblatt describes the proceedings in minute detail, beginning with the 30-minute late start, the courtroom crowded with camera crews and paparazzi. Auermann wore ballerina flats, black leggings, and a white blouse. She declared her innocence, asserting her intention to fight the charges. She said that she was not in residence in Germany until 2002, and, therefore, does not owe taxes for the aforementioned years. When the prosecution asks Auermann why she suddenly decided to move to Germany in 2002, the supermodel begins to tear up and puts her hands over her face.

"She cannot speak and turns away," reports the Handelsblatt (translated). "Auermann's mother was then ill and later died, said her lawyer. The model had wanted to spend the last months with her mother."
· Ex-Model Nadja Auermann in Berlin vor Gericht [AFP]
· Nadja Auermann: "Ich bin unschuldig" [Handelsblatt]