Michael Schumacher’s bodyguard ‘planned to release photos’ as blackmail details emerge | F1 | Sport
Michael Schumacher’s former bodyguard is being investigated by German police over claims he threatened to release sensitive photos of the Formula One icon. It is reported that the man known as Markus F and two other individuals threatened the Schumacher clan and demanded £12million for the return of 1,500 files detailing the German’s medical records.
Markus was part of Schumacher’s inner circle for around eight years. He had access to extremely sensitive information regarding Schumacher’s health and condition.
Corinna Schumacher has been fiercely protective over her husband’s privacy ever since he suffered life-altering injuries in a skiing accident in 2013. The 55-year-old has not been seen in public ever since, although he is widely reported to have made an appearance at the wedding of his daughter Gina earlier this year.
Markus is reported to have been relieved from his duties earlier this year following claims about a deterioration in his relationship with the family and changes to Schumacher’s care plan. According to the Daily Mail, the bitterness over his exit spurred him to hatch a plan to extort the family.
It is alleged that he stole 1,500 secret files from the Schumachers’ home. The sensitive material is believed to have been uploaded onto four USBs and two hard drives in the days before Markus was sacked.
BILD reported back in July that the content included pictures, videos, medication lists and even Schumacher’s patient file. The German authorities say that Markus subsequently recruited long-term friend and bouncer Yilmaz T.
Yilmaz’s son, Daniel T, is claimed to have been brought on board and he allegedly helped to make contact with the Schumacher family. Some of the files were even sent to Schumacher’s loved ones as proof, prosecutors say.
The trio are accused of asking Corinna for £12m to return the files. They threatened to sell it on the dark web where it could then be shared into the public domain.
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