The decision by the Svea Court of Appeal on Wednesday – to lift its previous inhibition, the mandatory pause – is the latest in a series of trips around the hunt for the roughly 1.6 billion kroner that Bengt Ågerup owes for unpaid taxes.
Bengt Ågerup became a multi-billionaire on, among other things, the anti-wrinkle preparation Restylane. When he sold his company, the profits were hidden in tax havens, beyond the reach of the Swedish Tax Agency. Since August this year, he has been placed in personal bankruptcy, with Sweden’s largest tax debt.
With help from the Cyprus leak
SVT’s Uppdrag review has previously, with the help of documents from the so-called Cyprus leak, been able to show that Bengt Ågerup moved assets in the billions to companies in Cyprus. Shortly after the disclosure, the Stockholm District Court decided to freeze Ågerup’s assets in Cyprus.
Ågerup’s lawyers appealed the decision to Svea Hovrätt, and argued that the bankruptcy trustee should only be able to look for assets in Sweden.
On Monday (27/11) the Court of Appeal decided on inhibition, which means that the district court’s decision was put on hold until the question of where the bankruptcy trustee has a mandate to look for assets is decided.
Subsequently, the Swedish Tax Agency has submitted supporting documents in which it is emphasized that the bankruptcy trustee has a legal right to search for and collect assets throughout the EU to cover the tax debt.
– Bengt Ågerup’s building application was based on incomplete data and gave a skewed view of what really happened. The Court of Appeal had access to a better basis for decision and was given the opportunity to make a more informed decision, says bankruptcy administrator Patrik Kalman to SVT.
Lifts the break
gen’s message from Svea Hovrätt means that the inhibition is lifted, i.e. the pause is lifted. But that does not mean that the Swedish Tax Agency has won. Now the Court of Appeal will hear Bengt Ågerup’s application for reinstatement, in the meantime his assets abroad are frozen and controlled by a so-called Syssloman, appointed by the district court.