In total, charges have been brought against eleven people, who are involved in the garbage scandal in various ways. Five people are charged with serious environmental crime after the lack of handling of garbage at, among other things, the large waste facilities Kassmyra and Kagghamra in Botkyrka municipality. Four of them are also suspected of eco-crime.
One person is charged with aiding and abetting serious environmental crime and five are charged with suspicion of environmental crime, they are suspected of having buried construction waste. All deny wrongdoing.
The trial started on September 3, but now it’s time to hear the main characters in the case for the first time.
The main accused denies any wrongdoing
Two of the main defendants are Bella Nilsson, who has now changed her name to Fariba Vancor, and Leif-Ivan Karlsson. Their lawyers did not want to be interviewed, but point out that their clients deny wrongdoing.
– I have been innocently accused and hanged in the media, it is wrong. You are innocent until you have received the sentence, said Bella Nilsson when SVT’s reporter knocked on her home in the summer of 2021.
In police interrogations in 2020, Think Pink’s founder has developed how she feels that there has been a witch hunt against her as a person.
“I am innocently accused and I did not do this. This is a witch hunt, therefore I will not comment anything. I will not comment. You are welcome to talk and ask what you want, but I think it is unfair.” she said in the hearing.
In questioning, she has also said that they never handled any hazardous waste. This is how she describes Think Pink’s business concept:
“We take in construction waste from Stockholm and the surrounding area. It is non-hazardous waste. We do not have permission to take in hazardous waste.”
Leif-Ivan Karlsson: Would be poster name
Leif-Ivan Karlsson was CEO of Think Pink for almost two years. He became famous in connection with the program “Svenska millionaires” and the reality series “Karlssons”. He has claimed in police interrogations that his role was only to market the company.
“I have not been aware. The only thing I know was the agreement that I would be the poster name. That’s how it was supposed to be for and market it. CEO: Leif-Ivan Karlsson and, oh man. Absolutely, yes, but I know that.”
According to himself, he has never been more involved than that in the company. When asked if he understands what it means to be CEO, he answers:
“I probably had some kind of responsibility, but in my world I didn’t because that wasn’t the deal.”
Leif-Ivan Karlsson will be heard later in the trial.