“We have through very complicated manoeuvres followed the money trail through several European countries and have now restrained approximately EUR 235m in total. We have obtained Danish court orders according to which the funds have been restrained and we are currently co-operating with foreign authorities in getting the funds back to the Danish treasury again. The work ahead can be difficult, but we have now made sure that these funds cannot just disappear if it is proved that the funds derive from economic crime”, said Morten Niels Jakobsen, the State Prosecutor, who points out that a part of the restrained funds, according to the international rules on the fight against economic crime, may remain with the country in question where the funds are detected.

Through coordinated actions in the UK today, the police searched and restrained possible evidence with connections to 12 companies in total. The State Prosecutor has in this connection had a close co-operation with the so-called Law Enforcement Agencies in the UK.

Out of consideration for the further investigation, the State Prosecutor does not, at this stage, wish to disclose which other countries that SØIK specifically co-operated with.

The State Prosecutor states that there are also other accounts and funds, which for the time being are subject to investigation. Therefore, the State Prosecutor cannot rule out the possibility that more funds may be restrained from now on.

Out of consideration for the possibility of securing the funds – and ensure that the persons involved are prosecuted, if possible – the State Prosecutor does not wish to give further details about which countries, group of people, banks and companies that have been part of the overall multi-charge case.   

 “We are still far short of target in this case, which we do not yet know the full extent of. Well, we do, however, have a little hope of that not all the funds are lost for good. In any case, we will do what we can to trace these funds and where there are many indications on that the funds do not rightfully belong to these foreign accounts, but to the Danish treasury,” the State Prosecutor, Morten Niels Jakobsen said.

In August 2015, the Danish Tax Authority, SKAT, reported presumed economic crime in the region of EUR 825m. Since then SØIK has intensively investigated the case with assistance from Danish and foreign authorities. There are still no persons who have been arrested or accused in the case.

Out of consideration for the further investigation of the case, we cannot disclose further information at present.
 

State Prosecutor, Morten Niels Jakobsen, telephone no.: +45 2214 6648

Mikkel Thastum, Head of Communications at the Danish Prosecution Service, telephone no.: +45 2512 6148.