In July, a man was arrested on suspicion of stealing Michael Schumacher’s medical documents who subsequently offered them to the media for a fee of £40,000 (€50,000). The documents in question contained confidential information on the seven-time Formula One champion’s treatment and condition. The French prosecutors were able to track the IP address of the computer that was used in the theft. It was later released that the IP address led them to the Swiss Air-Ambulance company, Rega; the company involved in Schumacher’s transport to hospital after his accident.
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Schumacher receives first aid by the French rescue team |
The suspect was arrested and taken into custody for questioning by the police but denied any wrong doing. In the morning of his scheduled hearing before a judge he was found in his cell after committing suicide. The police have stated that there was no one else was involved in his death. CEO of Rega, Ernst Kohler said “We are deeply affected to learn ... that a Rega employee, taken into custody yesterday upon suspicion of violating professional secrecy, committed suicide in his cell,” No information on the man’s name, nationality or age have been released by the Zurich prosecutors office but they have expressed that the man should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Spokeswoman, Sabine Kehm |
The spokeswoman for the Schumacher family, Sabine Kehm has said that the family are “at a loss for words and deeply shocked,”
Schumacher’s accident happened on the 29th of December in Meribel where he sustained severe head injuries while skiing. In early July, Schumacher had reportedly shown some signs of improvement as he emerged from a medically induced coma. He was able to communicate to with his wife and children Gina-Maria, 17, and son Mick, 15, by way of eyelid movement. He remains in the Lausanne clinic but there has been no major press releases since he had emerged from his coma in June.
Words by Niall