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Swedbank CEO Acquitted: Money Laundering Case Dropped
21 Apr
Summary
- Supreme Court acquitted former Swedbank CEO Birgitte Bonnesen.
- Bonnesen was acquitted on charges related to anti-money laundering.
- The acquittal overturned a lower court's guilty verdict and prison sentence.
The Swedish Supreme Court on Tuesday acquitted former Swedbank CEO Birgitte Bonnesen. This decision overturned a prior guilty verdict from an appeals court, which had sentenced Bonnesen to 15 months imprisonment. The original charges related to her management of the bank's anti-money laundering efforts.
The appeals court had found Bonnesen guilty of gross fraud. This was based on statements she allegedly made to the media in October 2018 concerning anti-money laundering measures at Swedbank's Estonian branch. Bonnesen served as Swedbank's CEO between 2016 and 2019 and consistently denied all allegations against her. The Supreme Court stated her comments were covered by freedom of speech.
