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February 14, 2012
Princess's honeymoon gift 'not a bribe'
Published: 20 Aug 10 10:14 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/28480/20100820/
Swedish anti-corruption prosecutors have said that Crown Princess Victoria’s decision to accept free use of a billionaire’s private jet for her honeymoon did not make her liable to prosecution for taking bribes.
- Princess Victoria to give birth in 'early March' (2 Feb 12)
- Justice minister calls for tighter bribery laws (26 Jan 12)
- Princess Victoria: 2011 a 'very rough year' (29 Dec 11)
“There is no reason to believe that a crime subject to public prosecution has been committed. An investigation will therefore not be commenced,” Stetler added.
Stetler also said that no investigation would be launched into the conduct of Bertil Hult, who lent the royal couple a plane, a yacht and a house for their honeymoon. Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel flew to Tahiti on his Dassult Falcon 7X private jet, sailed on his yacht in the Pacific Ocean, and reportedly spent several weeks at his house in Colorado.
A number of complaints were made to prosecutors by members of the public, and at the beginning of August Stetler announced that he would consider whether the royal couple and Hult had a case to answer.
Hult is the billionaire founder of EF, a multinational company that organizes language-learning trips.
The Royal Court has previously dismissed criticism of the honeymoon:
“It was a private trip and a wedding present from an old friend of the Royal Family,” Ulrika Näsholm, information secretary to the Royal Family, said when the initial complaints were made public.
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Swedish word of the day
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adjective
Fin means anyhting from sweet to proper. When someone says, Du är så fin it's quite a compliment.
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(George Orwell, Animal Farm)
Big surprise. The untouchables will not be investigated.
Too bad Mr. Moneybags didn't pay for the wedding. It would have saved the taxpayers a bundle.
If you make as much as these people - you give bigger gifts!
This is a done deal & good at ya Sweden on this one.
I bet I gave a policeman friend of mine a pressent, I would get sent to jail."
Try giving your policeman friend a present... Talk is cheap.
I doubt we'll see you in court.
anyway, its entertaining for the rest of us
I also like: ""The Crown Princess has inherited her position and it would therefore not seem relevant to compare her duties to those of someone who had been elected or appointed to carry them out".
In other words, unelected people are exempt from the law!
about frekin time that there is some common sense banged into those cretins accusing the CP/CP of bribery - only some poor communist jealousy brought this about
Oh, how I love the crazy rubbish of right wing fascists.
1. The headline is misleading because no investigation has taken place.
2. The decision by the Chief Prosecutor is supported by the statement
"The Crown Princess has inherited her position and it would therefore not seem relevant to compare her duties to those of someone who had been elected or appointed to carry them out,"
What this actually means is that the normal laws relating to bribes and financial inducements do not relate to the Crown Princess because she inherited her position. He is saying she is not corruptible in the normal way because she has not been elected or appointed. That needs testing. In fact maybe not. Does anyone seriously believe that a large amount of cash wouldn't influence her actions just because her position is inherited?
you said: "Notice how this story doesn't point out why it may have been illegal - because she's been making "voluntary" appearances for his company at events."
This still doesn't remotely make it illegal. There is nothing wrong with providing him with a bit of royal PR. That has been done for centuries with various companies that proudly display words to the effect of 'Supplier to HRH The Queen'. At worst it can be construed as payment for services, in which case she could be taxed on the value of the gifts.
If on the other hand the services involved waiving some laws or regulations on his behalf, THEN it would be bribery.
You can't have your cake and eat it Bertil! if it is a personal gift and you take it out of your income fine, on the company is another matter.
dude wake up and smell the coffee. do you know who the richest man in the world is and his political inclination - well i got some real good surprise for your morning coffee.
A COMMUNIST by the name Vladimir Putin. His estimated net worth is tagged at over USD200bn, due to his controlling of the Russian Natural resources.
This is more than the combined wealth of the officially top 3 richest guys.
Ps. reference Gunvor Trading where he owns 70% and is only one of the wealth creation enterprises.
If that was the case, it's a crime and a scandal. But so far, there doesn't seem to be any evidence, and in the absense of evidence, there is nothing to investigate. Case closed.
There is no corruption in Sweden.
Sweden is Best in the World.
"A bribe is when you expect something in return" NO, thats just a transaction! (Unless you think the local storekeeper is taking bribes from you when you go to get your milk.)
A transaction is only a bribe when that "something" involves circumventing the law or due process (e.g. rigged government tenders). Simple PR by association does not do that.