Gal Barak, the Israeli national accused of heading the cybercriminal enterprise E&G Bulgaria, appeared once again before a Vienna court. He faces allegations of running several fraudulent broker operations, involving investment scams and money laundering. Barak expressed disbelief over the accusations, telling the court he doesn’t understand why he is being singled out when many similar scams still operate globally without legal consequences. He offered a rather unusual confession, and the written statement of a former retention manager was read aloud in court. Tragically, that witness died under mysterious circumstances shortly after giving testimony.
“I’m the victim here!”
Barak’s defense now rests on the claim that he is not the mastermind behind E&G Bulgaria’s fraudulent network, but a misrepresented victim. He acknowledged that his wife, Marina Barak (also known as Marina Andreeva), held Power of Attorney for E&G Bulgaria and other related companies and handled the financial aspects—but insisted she did so on behalf of others, not him.
In court, Barak complained about the perceived injustice of his prosecution, arguing that countless similar scams are running unchecked while only he faces charges.
Earlier in the session, Barak made what he called a confession, although it seemed more like a deflection. He admitted that the white-label broker solution Tradologic, which he owned and directed, was used to deceive clients through manipulated software. Barak claimed he was aware of the fraud but powerless to stop it, blaming a former business partner as the real architect behind the deception. He further distanced himself by noting that his more recent ventures, such as XtraderFX, SafeMarkets, and Golden Markets, used PandaTS software developed by Maor Lahav instead of Tradologic.
So while Barak acknowledged knowledge of fraudulent activities, he denied active involvement—presenting himself not as a perpetrator, but as someone falsely accused.
The Boiler Room Denial
Barak flatly denied any involvement with boiler rooms. However, this claim was contradicted by testimony from a former retention manager who went by the alias Alex Mueller. According to Mueller, Barak regularly visited the boiler room run by Cactus Marketing DOO in Belgrade—at least twice a week. Mueller also revealed that customer accounts were systematically manipulated using specialized software across platforms like XtraderFX and OptionStars, both linked to PandaTS.
Mueller’s statement directly challenged the version of events Barak had offered just hours earlier.
A Convenient Death
Mueller, who had managed operations in both Serbia and Bulgaria, was found dead in Bulgaria shortly after giving his testimony. The reported cause was cardiac arrest due to a drug overdose—a conveniently timed death, given the circumstances.
In 2019, two former Serbian business associates filed a police complaint alleging that Barak had ordered hits against them. One of the complainants, a well-known Belgrade lawyer, confirmed violent altercations involving Barak and his bodyguards. While Barak may present a mild image, his associates and actions suggest otherwise.
Additionally, a former employee in Bulgaria submitted an affidavit claiming she and her children were threatened with death by Barak’s enforcers if she spoke out about E&G Bulgaria.
This marks the second unexplained death connected to the case. On July 6, 2020, Uwe Lenhoff, a suspected accomplice and business partner of Barak, was discovered dead in his prison cell. The cause of death remains undisclosed.
The Vienna Cybercrime Trials are evolving into a high-stakes international thriller—one with deadly consequences.