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Country profiles
The trial of Amdi Petersen
Latest reports at top
Day 3 Wednesday March 12th 2003
On 24 June 1987, the Tvind combine's large fund granted
350.000 crowns for one of the so-called research projects one month
before the request for the project had been received.
According to the prosecutor's presentation in the Tvind case,
attachments
and reports from board meetings show that the project
"International
Distributors", dealing among other things with re-usage of clothes
from
the Western world for the poor countries, received the ok from the fund
one month before the request had been received on 24 July.
During the third meeting in the comprehensive case, where eight Tvind
leaders are accused for deception and tax fraud, the prosecutor Poul
Gade
presented a long range of documents which should demonstrate that the
Tvind system under the cover of research activity made millions
circulate between thr large fund and other projects controlled by Tvind,
to escape taxation.
Great amusement
When the authorities in 1986 strengthened the rules to hit the earlier
Tvind fund in which the members of the TG had payed in up to 80 percent
of their salary, Tvind with Mogens Amdi Petersen on the top created a
new fund, which to the great amusementof the Tvind teachers got the name
"Fund for the support of humanitarian goals, for the promotion of
research and for environment protection".
Limitations
Ths name was identical to the wording of the law in which it was
enjoined
that money must only be taken out for humanitarian goals, for the
promotion of research and for environment protection. Other limitations
were that the goal of the fund should be charitable and at maximum
15 percent of the salary should be paid in.
The fund was created in January 1987, and only a few months later the
Tvind people had created another fund, the trade fund IFAS (Institute
for
Scientific Research and Applied Sciences) which served as a connecting
link between the large fund and other Tvind activities, which, according
to the indictment bill, had nothing to do with research.
Research projects
IFAS organized among others the project "Global Reseach",
sending a ship with Tvind researchers onboard to Central America to find
suitable research project which could be supported. The research leader
onboard of the ship "Store Klaus" was the later ex-member Hans
la Cour, possibly the most important witness of the prosecution in the
case.
The same la Cour described later on how one should identify possible
research projects for IFAS, but none of the projects ever was realized
or
supported. According to la Cour, the request form and the documentation
were in English in order to make it more complicated for the Danish tax
authorities.
Project canceled
The ship project "Global Research", originally planned for 5
years, was
canceled already after less than one year. According to la Cour
allegedly
because the Tvind management got cold feet, when a furious member of the
crew found out that the projects would never receive a single crown, and
threated to bail out.
According to the indictment bill, the Tvind fund managed anyway in 1987
to pay 2,4 million crowns, via IFAS, to "Global Research".
The prosecutors think that only in 1987, the Tvind fund payed 5.4
million
crowns, via IFAS, to itself, in contradiction to the goal of the fund.
http://www.jp.dk/indland/artikel:aid=1715444/
On Thursday, vice public prosecutor Poul Gade compared
the Tvind management with the management of a Rocker group. As the
only defendant, Amid Pertsen did not follow the documents during the
presentation of the case.
From the very morning on, the tone was sharp when the public
prosecutors in the case of Tvinds humanitarian fund presented their
views of the case.
We have tried to get 40 witnesses to speak out. But all of them
refused.
This probably only happens in a Rocker environment, that we can see
such a strong control of people, public prosecutor Poul Gade said at
his
presentation.
He indicated that, according to the prosecutor's opinion, the members
of
Tvind's teacher's group are entirely controlled by Tvind's founder
Mogens
Amdi Petersen, who, together with seven other managers of Tvind, is
accused at the town court for embezzlement and tax fraud.
Poul Gade stated in sharp phrases that he intends to prove at the
court
that Tvind's humanitarian fund is not at all a fund in the proper
sense.
We can rather talk about that the fund is a scenery which should
make the authorities believe that the money from the fund is used for
charitable
purpose. But behind the scenery there was quite another plan with the
fund, the prosecutor said, who called the fund more a fake than a
fact.
The fund with its full name "Fund for the support of humanitarian
goals,
for the support of research and for environment protection" has,
according
to the prosecutors, just been established to make sure that about 75
million crowns, paid-up taxfree by 339 Tvind-teachers, could go back
to
Tvind itself.
An allegation which was rejected by all eight defendants from Tvind's
management.
Four questions
Public prosecutor Pouls Gade statet to the court that the prosecutors
would
try to answer four questions:
Who decided about the fund?
How was the money used?
Which information was given to the authorities?
Who had the responsibilty for the usage of the money from the fund?
Three possibilities
According to Gade there are three possibilities for the outcome of the
case:
- All eight defendants will be condemned.
- Only the two persons having officially been responsible for the fund
-
Poul Jrgensen und Bodil Ross Srensen - will be condemned.
- Nobody will be condemned.
In that connection, Gade asked the defenders to give notice as soon as
possible whether the eight defendants regard their possible
responsibility
as a common or as an individual matter. The defenders announced that
they wuld do this earliest at a court session in april.
Several times, the prosecutor critisized the defenders for not having
given
notice about which parts of the bill of indictment they would reject.
A
representative of the defenders, Jan Erik Kornerup Jensen, rejected
these
critics and said, the defenders would present their rejections
together and
at once.
Request for payment rejected
Also yesterday, the court took position at the defender's request for
a
payment of 18.500 crowns per court day and per defender, plus
reimbursement of expenses.
The court rejected the request of the defenders and fixed the payment
at
about 16.400 crowns per defender and day, plus reimbursement of
expenses.
But it openend the possibility to increase this amount, if the
defenders
could prove a justification for additional usage of time.
The main person in the case, Mogens Amdi Petersen, showed a nearly
demonstrative lack of interest for the case.
While the other defendants sat and looked at the documents of the case
as
they were shown on the 20 flat screens in the court room, Amdi had not
even switched on his screen.
He sat and stared and in even intervals was sighing and heavily
yawning.
After the session, he stated to the press:
According to the advice of my defensor, I have nothing to say - not
before the case will be closed. This advice I have received.
At the next session in the case - which will take place next week -
the
prosecution authority will start to go through the first eight of
totally
eleven projects, about which the prosecutors believe that they have
received undue support from Tvinds humanitarian fund.
http://www.jp.dk/indland/artikel:aid=1705428:fid=6844/
The case against Amdi Petersen and the other 7 leaders of the Tvind
empire is a very normal case about economical criminality, where it
should be decided if the defendants have taken money which they should
not have
taken. But in a single point it is different from most of them: No
teacher
from Tvind wanted to contribute to the clearing up. This was said by
one of the prosecutors, vice public prosecutor Poul Gade, when he on
Thurday presented the case in the building of the Western Country
Court in rhus.
After consultation with my defender, I have nothing to say before
the case is completed, said Amdi Petersen
Among the defendants, it is only the leader, Amdi Petersen, and the
speaker, Poul Jrgensen, who wanted to talk to the police, the
prosecutor
said.
The police has spoken with 40 mebers of the teacher's group, but
nobody of them wanted to speak out. This is very unnormal. I don't
believe one would experience this in a Rotary club. This would only
happen in a gang of Rockers, Poul Gade said.
The breakthrough came when the police had access to the computers
which were confiscated in april 2001 at eight different Tvind
locations. By that, the police was able for the first time to describe
the complete
organisation of Tvind, Poul Gade said, who told about a combine
equaly
large as the bigest multinational combines.
In this carefully planned organisation, Tvinds humanitarian fund
is only
one of many sources of income for the common cashbox of the teacher's
group, according to the prosecution authority.
Pure fiction
This means that the money which is going into Tvind's humanitarian
fund,
is regarded as an income source for the cashbox of the teacher's
group.
This information has not been given to the fund auhorities or tax
auhtorities, Poul Gade said, who regards the fund as a pure fiction.
This is not a fund. This is an outward show with something behind,
the
prosecutor said, and only on that background one could talk about tax
fraud. "The core in the case is, whether the court will follow
the
prosecutors and say yes, so it was, or if they will say, yes, that is
punishable, but only for those who had the formal responsibility,
these are
Poul Jrgensen and Bodil Ross Srensen, or if they find there is
nothing
punishable, Pould Gade said.
Not much to say
The 12 defenders will first reply to the prosecutor's presentation in
court
sessions in april. And after the two day's sessions in rhus, Mogens
Amdi
Petersen has not much to say either:
http://politiken.dk/VisArtikel.iasp?PageID=259171
The Tvind case will cost about 15
million Danish crowns only for the 12 defenders for the 8 defendants.
Every defender can look forward to about 1,2 millions.
The court in Ringkbing decided today the payment to be 15.000 crows
per lawyer per day, added value tax included. 80 court days are
expected which results in a total of 14,4 millions. In addition they
will be payed for
hotel and staying and possible extra use of time because the case is
so
comprehensive. The payment per hour is 1100 crowns, half if it for
traveling hours. This is for the lawyers only.
But there is also a judge, another judge, two courtmen, another
courtman
and three prosecutors, all who travel to rhus for those days when
the case is treated.
The case concerns tax fraud, embezzlement, abuse of trust for until 57
millions.
/ritzau/ http://www.berlingske.dk/artikel:aid=260520/
Day 1 March 5th: Today it
was the serious start of the case which is expected to last many
months. Initially, prosecutors and defenders were fighting each other,
because the defenders each request 18.500 kroner per day. The judge
has not yet decided about that. They also were fighting about the
schedule of the case. Though the prosecutors thought that the case
could be ready until the end of the year 2003 in 45 days, the lawyers
had little room in their time schedule for that case, so the last
meeting in court will be on 6 october 2004.
The interest of the public was moderate.
Mogens Amdi Petersen was not charming as earlier and not willing to
talk to the press and to the banana workers. He and his girlfriend
Kirsten Larsen even switched off the computer screens they had in
front of them.
http://www.berlingske.dk/artikel:aid=260342/
The eight members of the Teachers
Group, being charged with fraud and embezzlement in Denmark, wednesday
March 5th, pleaded not guilty on the first day of the court case
in Ringkobing. The eight,
including Tvind-founder Amdi Petersen, are being charged with fraud
and embezzlement for 25 million euro's (25 million dollars). For some
of the accused the charges are about smaller accounts than 25 million
euro's.
http://www.jp.dk/indland/artikel:aid=1705428:fid=6844/
The case against Amdi Petersen and the other 7 leaders of the Tvind
empire is a very normal case about economical criminality, where it
should be decided if the defendants have taken money which they should
not have
taken. But in a single point it is different from most of them: No
teacher
from Tvind wanted to contribute to the clearing up. This was said by
one of the prosecutors, vice public prosecutor Poul Gade, when he on
Thurday presented the case in the building of the Western Country
Court in rhus.
After consultation with my defender, I have nothing to say before
the case is completed, said Amdi Petersen
Among the defendants, it is only the leader, Amdi Petersen, and the
speaker, Poul Jrgensen, who wanted to talk to the police, the
prosecutor
said.
The police has spoken with 40 mebers of the teacher's group, but
nobody of them wanted to speak out. This is very unnormal. I don't
believe one would experience this in a Rotary club. This would only
happen in a gang of Rockers, Poul Gade said.
The breakthrough came when the police had access to the computers
which were confiscated in april 2001 at eight different Tvind
locations. By that, the police was able for the first time to describe
the complete
organisation of Tvind, Poul Gade said, who told about a combine
equaly
large as the bigest multinational combines.
In this carefully planned organisation, Tvinds humanitarian fund
is only
one of many sources of income for the common cashbox of the teacher's
group, according to the prosecution authority.
Pure fiction
This means that the money which is going into Tvind's humanitarian
fund,
is regarded as an income source for the cashbox of the teacher's
group.
This information has not been given to the fund auhorities or tax
auhtorities, Poul Gade said, who regards the fund as a pure fiction.
This is not a fund. This is an outward show with something behind,
the
prosecutor said, and only on that background one could talk about tax
fraud. "The core in the case is, whether the court will follow
the
prosecutors and say yes, so it was, or if they will say, yes, that is
punishable, but only for those who had the formal responsibility,
these are
Poul Jrgensen and Bodil Ross Srensen, or if they find there is
nothing
punishable, Pould Gade said.
Not much to say
The 12 defenders will first reply to the prosecutor's presentation in
court
sessions in april. And after the two day's sessions in rhus, Mogens
Amdi
Petersen has not much to say either:
http://politiken.dk/VisArtikel.iasp?PageID=259171
The Tvind case will cost about 15
million Danish crowns only for the 12 defenders for the 8 defendants.
Every defender can look forward to about 1,2 millions.
The court in Ringkbing decided today the payment to be 15.000 crows
per lawyer per day, added value tax included. 80 court days are
expected which results in a total of 14,4 millions. In addition they
will be payed for
hotel and staying and possible extra use of time because the case is
so
comprehensive. The payment per hour is 1100 crowns, half if it for
traveling hours. This is for the lawyers only.
But there is also a judge, another judge, two courtmen, another
courtman
and three prosecutors, all who travel to rhus for those days when
the case is treated.
The case concerns tax fraud, embezzlement, abuse of trust for until 57
millions.
/ritzau/ http://www.berlingske.dk/artikel:aid=260520/
Day 1 March 5th: Today it
was the serious start of the case which is expected to last many
months. Initially, prosecutors and defenders were fighting each other,
because the defenders each request 18.500 kroner per day. The judge
has not yet decided about that. They also were fighting about the
schedule of the case. Though the prosecutors thought that the case
could be ready until the end of the year 2003 in 45 days, the lawyers
had little room in their time schedule for that case, so the last
meeting in court will be on 6 october 2004.
The interest of the public was moderate.
Mogens Amdi Petersen was not charming as earlier and not willing to
talk to the press and to the banana workers. He and his girlfriend
Kirsten Larsen even switched off the computer screens they had in
front of them.
http://www.berlingske.dk/artikel:aid=260342/
The eight members of the Teachers
Group, being charged with fraud and embezzlement in Denmark, wednesday
March 5th, pleaded not guilty on the first day of the court case
in Ringkobing. The eight,
including Tvind-founder Amdi Petersen, are being charged with fraud
and embezzlement for 25 million euro's (25 million dollars). For some
of the accused the charges are about smaller accounts than 25 million
euro's.
http://politiken.dk/VisArtikel.iasp?PageID=259171
The Tvind case will cost about 15
million Danish crowns only for the 12 defenders for the 8 defendants.
Every defender can look forward to about 1,2 millions.
The court in Ringkbing decided today the payment to be 15.000 crows
per lawyer per day, added value tax included. 80 court days are
expected which results in a total of 14,4 millions. In addition they
will be payed for
hotel and staying and possible extra use of time because the case is
so
comprehensive. The payment per hour is 1100 crowns, half if it for
traveling hours. This is for the lawyers only.
But there is also a judge, another judge, two courtmen, another
courtman
and three prosecutors, all who travel to rhus for those days when
the case is treated.
The case concerns tax fraud, embezzlement, abuse of trust for until 57
millions.
/ritzau/ http://www.berlingske.dk/artikel:aid=260520/
Day 1 March 5th: Today it
was the serious start of the case which is expected to last many
months. Initially, prosecutors and defenders were fighting each other,
because the defenders each request 18.500 kroner per day. The judge
has not yet decided about that. They also were fighting about the
schedule of the case. Though the prosecutors thought that the case
could be ready until the end of the year 2003 in 45 days, the lawyers
had little room in their time schedule for that case, so the last
meeting in court will be on 6 october 2004.
The interest of the public was moderate.
Mogens Amdi Petersen was not charming as earlier and not willing to
talk to the press and to the banana workers. He and his girlfriend
Kirsten Larsen even switched off the computer screens they had in
front of them.
http://www.berlingske.dk/artikel:aid=260342/
The eight members of the Teachers
Group, being charged with fraud and embezzlement in Denmark, wednesday
March 5th, pleaded not guilty on the first day of the court case
in Ringkobing. The eight,
including Tvind-founder Amdi Petersen, are being charged with fraud
and embezzlement for 25 million euro's (25 million dollars). For some
of the accused the charges are about smaller accounts than 25 million
euro's.
/ritzau/ http://www.berlingske.dk/artikel:aid=260520/
Day 1 March 5th: Today it
was the serious start of the case which is expected to last many
months. Initially, prosecutors and defenders were fighting each other,
because the defenders each request 18.500 kroner per day. The judge
has not yet decided about that. They also were fighting about the
schedule of the case. Though the prosecutors thought that the case
could be ready until the end of the year 2003 in 45 days, the lawyers
had little room in their time schedule for that case, so the last
meeting in court will be on 6 october 2004.
The interest of the public was moderate.
Mogens Amdi Petersen was not charming as earlier and not willing to
talk to the press and to the banana workers. He and his girlfriend
Kirsten Larsen even switched off the computer screens they had in
front of them.
http://www.berlingske.dk/artikel:aid=260342/
The eight members of the Teachers
Group, being charged with fraud and embezzlement in Denmark, wednesday
March 5th, pleaded not guilty on the first day of the court case
in Ringkobing. The eight,
including Tvind-founder Amdi Petersen, are being charged with fraud
and embezzlement for 25 million euro's (25 million dollars). For some
of the accused the charges are about smaller accounts than 25 million
euro's.
http://www.berlingske.dk/artikel:aid=260342/
The eight members of the Teachers
Group, being charged with fraud and embezzlement in Denmark, wednesday
March 5th, pleaded not guilty on the first day of the court case
in Ringkobing. The eight,
including Tvind-founder Amdi Petersen, are being charged with fraud
and embezzlement for 25 million euro's (25 million dollars). For some
of the accused the charges are about smaller accounts than 25 million
euro's.
Copyright
2002, 2003 Tvind Alert, All Rights Reserved
Permission
is granted to reproduce the materials posted here provided that they are
credited as "Source: Tvind Alert (http://www.tvindalert.com)"
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