---
title: "Ex-Steinhoff CEO hit by arrest warrant after trial no-show"
description: "A German court issued an arrest warrant for Markus Jooste, former chief executive officer of scandal-ridden retailer Steinhoff International Holdings NV, after he failed to show up for trial in the country."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Business Maverick"
author: "Bloomberg"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/bloomberg/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-06-21-ex-steinhoff-ceo-hit-by-arrest-warrant-after-trial-no-show/"
published: "2023-06-21T18:57:11"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 197
---

# Ex-Steinhoff CEO hit by arrest warrant after trial no-show

> A German court issued an arrest warrant for Markus Jooste, former chief executive officer of scandal-ridden retailer Steinhoff International Holdings NV, after he failed to show up for trial in the country.

By Bloomberg · Published 21 June 2023, 20:57 SAST

## Key points
- Former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste's German trial has been disrupted due to his failure to appear, despite his lawyer's claims that he had no access to his passport.
- Regional Court of Oldenburg issued arrest warrant for ex-Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste
- Jooste's German lawyer says ruling is “totally incomprehensible” and will challenge it
- Jooste unable to travel due to arrangement with South African authorities
- Steinhoff has been battling to stay afloat since auditors refused to sign off on its accounts

## Content

The Regional Court of Oldenburg issued the warrant about two weeks ago, a spokesman for the tribunal said on Wednesday. Prosecutors had asked for the order in April when Jooste was a no-show for his trial in that city.

Bernd Gross, Jooste’s German lawyer, said the ruling is “totally incomprehensible” and he will challenge it. His client has always cooperated with the German authorities and will continue to do so, the attorney added.

Gross told the court in April that Jooste was unable to travel because he didn’t have access to his passport, under an arrangement with South African authorities. Jooste is facing much bigger probes and allegations there than in Germany, the lawyer said at the time.

Read More: [Ex-Steinhoff CEO Fails to Show Up for German Criminal Trial](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-18/ex-steinhoff-ceo-fails-to-show-up-for-german-criminal-trial)

Steinhoff has been battling to stay afloat, more than five years since auditors refused to sign off on its accounts. This prompted Jooste to resign and caused a dramatic share-price collapse as well as criminal and regulatory investigations in both Europe and South Africa. The executive was charged in Germany and the trial was scheduled to start April 18 but couldn’t continue due to Jooste’s no-show. **DM**