Central figure in German tax evasion scandal convicted in 2nd case

BERLIN (AP) — A central figure in a German tax evasion scandal has been convicted and sentenced to more than eight years in prison, the second verdict against him in the space of a few months. The Wiesbaden state court on Tuesday convicted German lawyer Hanno Berger of three counts of tax evasion and gave him a sentence of eight years and three months. In addition, it ordered the confiscation of nearly 1.1 million euros (nearly $1.2 million) of assets from Berger. Prosecutors accused Berger of involvment in complex “cum-ex” deals between 2006 and 2008 that led to unwarranted tax rebates of 113 million euros.