Top Swedish court clears Swedbank ex-CEO in Estonian money laundering case
The Supreme Court of Sweden acquitted former Swedbank CEO Birgitte Bonnesen of fraud tied to the bank's anti-money laundering work in Estonia, overturning a prior conviction.
The case stemmed from statements Bonnesen made to the media in fall 2018 about anti-money laundering measures at Swedbank's Estonian branch. Prosecutors said she gave shareholders and the public misleading information about the bank's controls.
A Swedish district court cleared Bonnesen of all charges in January 2023, but an appeals court overturned part of that ruling the following year, finding her guilty of gross fraud and sentencing her to 15 months in prison.
The Supreme Court, however, ruled that her comments to reporters were protected under freedom of expression, Reuters reported Monday.
It found no indication that the former CEO intended to "use the interviews as a means of disseminating misleading information that would affect the assessment of the bank in financial terms."
Bonnesen, who led Swedbank from 2016 to 2019, has denied all charges throughout proceedings.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
