Swedish politician jailed for fraud
Former Moderate Party politician Annétthe Zettergren, 58, was jailed for 3.5 years on Thursday and ordered to pay damages totalling 3.9 million ($605,000) to the county of Värmland and a further 350,000 kronor to her former partner.
Zettergren was charged with two counts of serious fraud in July following her arrest in Thailand in March.
The first charge related to a period spent serving on the Värmland County Council. Zettergren also ran a physical therapy clinic that investigators believe she used to send fraudulent invoices to the county council to the tune of 4.5 million kronor.
RELATED STORIES: Read all about the Annétthe Zettergren fraud case
The second charge related to the theft of funds from her partner's bank account before she disappeared, fleeing to Thailand in September 2012.
The scandal emerged after a report in the local Nya Wermlands-Tidningen that revealed that Zettergren was the highest paid physical therapist in the county.
The report led to a county council investigation and in June 2012 Zettergren left all of her positions of responsibility within the county. During her long service she has served on the Värmland County Council, the board of a regional development body and the local police board.
The county council reported the matter to the police on August 22nd and Zettergren disappeared a month later. A warrant for her arrest was issued shortly after.
After almost six months on the run, Swedish police were able to track her down and Thai police were able to catch up with her and make an arrest in the resort of Pattaya in March 2013. After a week in a Thai prison, Zettergren was deported back to Sweden.
Zettergren's nephew, also detained in Thailand in March, was convicted on Thursday on charges of handling stolen money and sentenced to probation and community service.
The Local/pvs
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Zettergren was charged with two counts of serious fraud in July following her arrest in Thailand in March.
The first charge related to a period spent serving on the Värmland County Council. Zettergren also ran a physical therapy clinic that investigators believe she used to send fraudulent invoices to the county council to the tune of 4.5 million kronor.
RELATED STORIES: Read all about the Annétthe Zettergren fraud case
The second charge related to the theft of funds from her partner's bank account before she disappeared, fleeing to Thailand in September 2012.
The scandal emerged after a report in the local Nya Wermlands-Tidningen that revealed that Zettergren was the highest paid physical therapist in the county.
The report led to a county council investigation and in June 2012 Zettergren left all of her positions of responsibility within the county. During her long service she has served on the Värmland County Council, the board of a regional development body and the local police board.
The county council reported the matter to the police on August 22nd and Zettergren disappeared a month later. A warrant for her arrest was issued shortly after.
After almost six months on the run, Swedish police were able to track her down and Thai police were able to catch up with her and make an arrest in the resort of Pattaya in March 2013. After a week in a Thai prison, Zettergren was deported back to Sweden.
Zettergren's nephew, also detained in Thailand in March, was convicted on Thursday on charges of handling stolen money and sentenced to probation and community service.
The Local/pvs
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