Ticket company fraud investigation closed
The investigation against the CEO of ticket resellers Biljett Nu, arrested on suspicion of fraud after selling tickets to Springsteen concerts and then failing to deliver, has been closed after prosecutors found no intent to commit a criminal act.
"The investigation has shown that he has had no intent to commit any crime,” said prosecutor Göran Hansson to Sveriges Radio (SR).
The investigation into aggravated fraud has therefore been closed.
The man’s company, Biljett Nu, was reported to the police at the end of July by several disgruntled customers who had paid to go to Bruce Springsteen’s performances at the Gothenburg concert arena Ullevi, but never received the tickets.
The company sells advance sale tickets for events by buying and trading tickets on the second hand market. It says on the company’s website that entrance to the event is guaranteed as soon as the ticket is paid.
However, selling a product that then turns out to be unavailable is not necessarily a crime, police experts said at the time of the arrest.
“If it’s a serious company that wants to make its customers happy, and they were convinced it would be possible to obtain tickets, but then failed to do so, they haven’t done anything illegal,” Anders Olofsson of the police fraud unit told news agency TT Spektra at the time.
“However, if they were selling tickets despite knowing that there weren't any, that’s a different situation.”
The man was brought in for questioning just outside the concert arena in Gothenburg, moments before the first Springsteen concert was due to begin on Friday July 27th.
He was then arrested under suspicion of fraud and remained in custody until the following Tuesday.
According to the man's defence lawyer, Edip Samuelsson, his client is relieved over the result.
“He is happy that it is behind him but at the same time he is very upset that he has been detained from Friday to Tuesday afternoon for no reason whatsoever,” said Samuelsson to SR.
The Local/rm
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"The investigation has shown that he has had no intent to commit any crime,” said prosecutor Göran Hansson to Sveriges Radio (SR).
The investigation into aggravated fraud has therefore been closed.
The man’s company, Biljett Nu, was reported to the police at the end of July by several disgruntled customers who had paid to go to Bruce Springsteen’s performances at the Gothenburg concert arena Ullevi, but never received the tickets.
The company sells advance sale tickets for events by buying and trading tickets on the second hand market. It says on the company’s website that entrance to the event is guaranteed as soon as the ticket is paid.
However, selling a product that then turns out to be unavailable is not necessarily a crime, police experts said at the time of the arrest.
“If it’s a serious company that wants to make its customers happy, and they were convinced it would be possible to obtain tickets, but then failed to do so, they haven’t done anything illegal,” Anders Olofsson of the police fraud unit told news agency TT Spektra at the time.
“However, if they were selling tickets despite knowing that there weren't any, that’s a different situation.”
The man was brought in for questioning just outside the concert arena in Gothenburg, moments before the first Springsteen concert was due to begin on Friday July 27th.
He was then arrested under suspicion of fraud and remained in custody until the following Tuesday.
According to the man's defence lawyer, Edip Samuelsson, his client is relieved over the result.
“He is happy that it is behind him but at the same time he is very upset that he has been detained from Friday to Tuesday afternoon for no reason whatsoever,” said Samuelsson to SR.
The Local/rm
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