Former friendship has turned into enmity: The dispute between the rap superstar Bushido and his ex-manager, who is considered a Berlin clan boss, has been occupying the judiciary for years. The focus of the dispute is a criminal case before the Berlin district court, among other things, because of the allegation of extortion.
It’s a tough struggle that reaches its 100th day of the trial this Monday (July 10) and repeatedly makes headlines nationwide. One reason for the long duration of the proceedings is a controversial audio recording that has paralyzed the process for months. The German Press Agency looks back on almost three years since the trial began on August 17, 2020.
What is the process about?
The charges against Arafat A.-Ch. and three of his brothers are, among other things, deprivation of liberty, attempted severe extortion, coercion, dangerous bodily harm, insult and infidelity. Most of the allegations are based on statements made by Bushido, whose real name is Anis Mohamed Ferchichi. The 44-year-old is also a joint plaintiff in the process and initially described his view of things on 25 days of the hearing. He had compared his relationship with the clan chief to a forced marriage. His ex-business partner demanded up to 50 percent of his earnings as a rapper. In mid-August 2022, Bushido had to testify again. The background was an audio document that had surfaced in the meantime.
For the statement, the musician traveled from Dubai, where he now lives with his family. The 44-year-old and his wife Anna-Maria have been married since 2012 and have just announced that after having seven children together, another could be on the way. The 41-year-old brought a child into the marriage from a previous relationship.
What is the audio document about?
The recording is said to have been made secretly at a meeting between the rapper and his ex-manager on January 18, 2018, which was decisive for the proceedings. From the point of view of the defenders, the approximately two-hour audio file refutes the representation of Bushido.
The magazine “Stern” initially reported on the recording at the beginning of 2022, and it has also been before the court since the beginning of February 2022. This has hired an audio forensic expert to provide an opinion on whether the document is authentic. It has now become known that the material at hand is probably just a copy of the audio file.
How do those involved in the process evaluate the report?
The court has not yet commented on this. It probably wants to hear the expert as a witness on July 26th. Chief Public Prosecutor Petra Leister is obviously skeptical as to whether the expert’s investigation is capable of clarifying the matter. “Of course it’s a shame that we wasted so much money,” she said in the process. According to the court, it is about 23,000 euros.
Bushido’s lawyer sees his previous assessment confirmed by the preliminary assessment of the expert. According to the audio expert’s conclusion, “the file should be treated with cautious skepticism,” he said on the sidelines of the process. The file had always been a forgery for him to discredit his client. The defender of the accused ex-manager, Hansgeorg Birkhoff, rejected this. So far he has not wanted to say anything about the content of the report, saying only briefly: “Those who can read have a clear advantage.”
How are the accused behaving?
The 47-year-old clan chief and his brothers are silent, but sometimes cannot resist heckling. They come to the appointments in the criminal court as free men – mostly strolling and dressed in a sporty way. If Bushido appears in person, he will be brought to room 500, shielded by several masked bodyguards.
What do other witnesses say?
According to the court, almost 60 witnesses have been heard so far. Several prominent rappers had their say – Samra, Fler, Ali Bumaye and rapper Kay One. The Berlin rapper Fler had stated in the witness stand that from his point of view the two were a “perfect team”. A completely different picture was drawn by Bushido’s wife, who is considered the strong woman at his side. The interrogation of Anna-Maria Ferchichi dragged on for months because she had to be interrupted because of her triplet pregnancy.
What signals are coming from the responsible judges?
At the beginning of June 2022, the regional court drew a sobering conclusion: According to a preliminary assessment, the allegations of deprivation of liberty and attempted severe extortion from robbery have not been confirmed. But there are other allegations such as the misappropriation of 180,000 euros, coercion and dangerous bodily harm.
A verdict is expected this year. “From the point of view of the court, the process is on the home stretch,” said presiding judge Martin Mrosk. However, the further course will probably depend on what the expert’s survey reveals.
Why is the process taking so long and what has it cost so far?
At the beginning, the strict Corona requirements meant that the negotiation days were limited in time. Then several witnesses were missing. Finally, the audio recording appeared. Apart from the costs for the report, no further financial information is available. The court must use all possible evidence, a spokeswoman said. “The costs are not a criterion for good reason. That would not be constitutional.”
Is the Bushido versus clan boss chapter over with the verdict?
That is hardly to be expected. First, it remains to be seen whether the judgment in the criminal proceedings will become final. There are also other processes before civil courts in Berlin and Brandenburg. Bushido and his ex-manager are arguing about millions in revenue. The Berlin district court had sentenced the clan leader to pay more than 2.2 million euros to the rapper. The 47-year-old defends himself against this. In the meantime, a civil dispute between the two of them about a residential complex that they jointly own is going on before the higher regional court in Brandenburg.
