Chinese woman expected to plead guilty to money laundering of 11.6 million kroner in Copenhagen City Court
A 43-year-old Chinese woman is expected on Tuesday to admit guilt in money laundering via fictitious invoices in a luxury goods store. The prosecution is seeking imprisonment, deportation and confiscation.
Admission expected in major money laundering case involving luxury goods stores
A 43-year-old Chinese woman is expected on Tuesday to admit guilt in Copenhagen City Court in a case concerning the laundering of over 100 million kroner through two luxury goods stores. This emerges from a court hearing request from the National Unit for Serious Crime (NSK), which B.T. has obtained access to.
The woman is charged with money laundering because she allegedly entered false information about purchasers' addresses and identities on invoices totalling over 11.6 million kroner. According to the charge, this was done in collaboration with two other women, who are also charged in the case.
The woman was employed at the luxury goods store in question from February 2019 until her arrest at the end of August this year. Which business she was employed in cannot be disclosed, as she is subject to a name ban.
Arrest in August
The woman was one of a total of 11 persons resident in Denmark with Chinese background who were arrested and remanded in custody at the end of August in the case. Additional persons are charged.
The case complex concerns fraud perpetrated through two luxury goods stores, where expensive goods such as handbags were fictitiously traded. The police assess that the purpose was to obscure the origin of large sums of money from criminal activity. The charges have been brought under the provisions of the Criminal Code concerning money laundering and VAT fraud.
Prosecution seeks imprisonment and deportation
The prosecution is pursuing a prison sentence as well as deportation from Denmark. In addition, the NSK seeks confiscation of 157,500 kroner and a Rolex watch with box, valued at approximately 80,000 kroner.
The court is also asked to maintain a seizure of approximately 621,000 kroner from the woman's bank accounts. These funds are to partly cover the confiscated amount and partly pay the state's claim for case costs.
Admission typically results in reduced sentence
For a case to be proceeded with as an admission case requires that the accused either has already made a substantial admission to the police or has indicated a willingness to do so in court. Admission cases are conducted with a minimum of evidence—the judge need only be satisfied that the admission is not false.
An admission typically results in a more lenient sentence. The extent of the sentence reduction depends on several factors, including how early in the proceedings the admission is made. The 43-year-old woman has been in custody since her arrest in August.
Source: B.T.