The pensioners kept the 56-year-old consultant in a barred basement for three days, forcing him to sign documents that obliged him to reimburse all losses of their money.

Police found the house where the consultant was confined after the hostage sent a ciphered fax message intended to provide reimbursement. A SWAT team set the prisoner free.

At the trial, the owner of the prison basement said that this act was not a kidnapping but an “invitation to spend a couple of days in Upper Bavaria.”

The defendant also said that the consultant had dishonestly and cynically deceived him and his fellow defendants, and that his behavior had forced the culprits to act.

All five pensioners could spend up to five years in prison. Meanwhile, one of them has already been released from attending the trial for health reasons.