BOCHUM, July 18, 2008 (AFP) - A 66-year-old real estate tycoon went on trial Friday in the first case brought to justice in Germany in connection with a major Liechtenstein tax evasion scandal.

The unnamed man, from the western city of Bad Homburg, was accused of six counts of tax evasion after allegedly depositing several million euros in Liechtenstein and failing to declare interest made.

He has already paid 7.6 million euros in back taxes and fines to German tax authorities. Court officials said Friday the accused would likely receive a suspended two year prison sentence after making a full confession.

According to the Westdeutschen Allgemeinen Zeitung, German tax authorities have already recovered some 110 million euros in unpaid taxes connected with investments in the tiny Alpine principality, known for its banking secrecy.

Public prosecutors are currently investigating 350 cases linked to the tax scandal, with 420 further suspects still waiting to be interviewed, according to the newspaper.

The inquiry, which started in Germany in February, led to allegations against the former head of the German postal service, Klaus Zumwinckel, and hundreds of other wealthy investors whose names appeared on a client list of the Liechtenstein bank LGT in the tiny Alpine state.

The German government has admitted paying more than four million euros to an informer for the client data from LGT.

German authorities have also made the list of some 1,400 names available to other nations.

The United States, Britain, Australia, Italy, France, Sweden, Canada, New Zealand, Greece and Spain have all said they too are hunting for taxpayers hiding their money in Liechtenstein.