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CORRUPTION

PEAB founder freed in arena bribery scandal

A former city manager in Solna was convicted at taking bribes in connection with the building of new national sporting arena near Stockholm while the founder of Swedish construction firm PEAB was acquitted.

PEAB founder freed in arena bribery scandal

Former city manager Sune Reinhold was convicted by the district court in Stockholm suburb of Solna for accepting bribes between 2007 and 2008.

In February 2008, he took 375,000 kronor ($53,910) as a consultant fee for his work for Råsta Administration AB, work which he should have forfeited as city manager.

Reinhold was handed a suspended sentence and ordered to pay 105,000 kronor in fines. The state has also confiscated the 375,000 kronor.

He must also pay 100,000 kronor of the roughly 580,000 kronor fee to his lawyer Hans Strandberg.

He was initially charged with having accepted 900,000 kronor.

The bribery scandal has plagued the building process of the arena in northern Stockholm for months, and in June last year, six people were charged including local politicians and construction magnates.

Five of these men were acquitted on Friday, including local politician Lars-Erik Salminen of the Moderate party and PEAB construction company founder Erik Paulsson.

It could not be proven that these men were complicit in the bribing, according to the court.

“The court has freed these men for slightly varying reasons, but mainly because it was not proven that they knew that the city manager received payment for the project for the work that he should have forfeited,” said Catarina Barketorp of the court in a statement.

After the conviction, PEAB’s shares rose 3.3 percent on the Stockholm exchange.

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CORRUPTION

Barçagate: Police raid FC Barcelona offices and arrest former president

Police raided the offices of FC Barcelona on Monday, carrying out several arrests just six days ahead of the club's presidential elections, a Catalan regional police spokesman told AFP.

Barçagate: Police raid FC Barcelona offices and arrest former president
Barcelona's former president Josep Maria Bartomeu is among the arrested. Photo: Josep Lago/AFP

Spain's Cadena Ser radio said one of those arrested was former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who resigned in October, along with CEO Oscar Grau and the club's head of legal services.

But the police refused to confirm names, saying only “arrests are taking place” and adding that the operation was being run by officers from the financial crimes unit.

“We are in the process of carrying out an operation right now with agents of the financial crimes unit,” the police spokesman told AFP.

According to reports in the Spanish media, the operation is linked to last year's investigation into the 'BarçaGate' scandal, which saw the club deny hiring a company to criticise current and former players on social media to improve the image of the then-president Bartomeu.

Cadena Ser said Barca paid €1 million in six separate invoices to the company I3 Ventures, with whom the club have since cut ties.

Bartomeu resigned in October, after mounting pressure following months of controversy and a dramatic decline in performances on the pitch.

His successor is due to be elected on Sunday, when club members will choose between the final three candidates, Joan Laporta, Toni Freixa and Victor Font.

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