EY's former Germany boss Hubert Barth is to challenge a €300,000 fine for alleged violations of professional duties during the Big Four firm's audits of Wirecard. Germany's audit watchdog Apas last year fined EY €500,000 and banned the firm from taking on any new listed audit clients in Germany for two years over its failings. It also announced penalties of between €23,000 and €300,000 to five unnamed current and former staff. These fines against individuals were formally imposed last month. The largest of the personal fines was for Barth, according to people familiar with the decision. His lawyer Jan Bockemühl told the Financial Times that he would appeal against the Apas decision on behalf of his client as he considered it "incorrect" from both a legal and a factual point of view.