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LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Svindleribestämmelsen i ljuset av Bonnesen–fallet - En granskning med fokus på vilseledanderekvisitet

Ekdahl, Andrea LU (2024) LAGF03 20242
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract (Swedish)
Uppsatsens utgångspunkt är det uppmärksammade rättsfallet rörande
Swedbanks före detta VD, Birgitte Bonnesen, som av Svea hovrätt dömdes
för grovt svindleri till fängelse i 15 månader. Bonnesen dömdes för att ha
gjort vilseledande uttalanden till media angående Swedbanks
penningstvättsarbete och kopplingar till Danske Banks verksamhet i Estland,
trots att hon hade icke offentliggjord information som pekade åt ett annat håll.

När man studerar rättskällorna till svindleribrottet kan det låta relativt
okomplicerat hur man går tillväga för att bedöma dessa fall. Svindleribrottet
förekommer emellertid sällan i svensk rättspraxis och när så väl sker,
uppkommer svåra bedömningar och tolkningsfrågor. Denna uppsats
analyserar... (More)
Uppsatsens utgångspunkt är det uppmärksammade rättsfallet rörande
Swedbanks före detta VD, Birgitte Bonnesen, som av Svea hovrätt dömdes
för grovt svindleri till fängelse i 15 månader. Bonnesen dömdes för att ha
gjort vilseledande uttalanden till media angående Swedbanks
penningstvättsarbete och kopplingar till Danske Banks verksamhet i Estland,
trots att hon hade icke offentliggjord information som pekade åt ett annat håll.

När man studerar rättskällorna till svindleribrottet kan det låta relativt
okomplicerat hur man går tillväga för att bedöma dessa fall. Svindleribrottet
förekommer emellertid sällan i svensk rättspraxis och när så väl sker,
uppkommer svåra bedömningar och tolkningsfrågor. Denna uppsats
analyserar domstolarnas tillämpning av svindleriparagrafen i Bonnesen–
fallet, särskilt med avseende på vilseledanderekvisitet. Detta sätts också i
relation till förarbeten, doktrin och tidigare rättspraxis. Den huvudsakliga
frågeställningen är således om, och potentiellt hur, utgången i Bonnesen-fallet kan tänkas påverka den fortsatta tillämpningen av svindleribestämmelsen.

Hovrätten markerar i Bonnesen–fallet att endast tydliga överträdelser av vad
som kan anses acceptabelt kan föranleda straffansvar. Denna bedömning är
förenlig med bestämmelsens syften och rättssäkerhetsprinciper. Trots detta är
rättsläget oklart i flera avseenden. Det saknas enhetlig vägledning kring hur
konkretion och precision i uttalanden ska bedömas, liksom omfattningen av
straffbart utelämnande och hur en adekvat helhetsbedömning görs.
Hovrättens resonemang kan tyckas spegla en rimlig bedömning, men
avgörandet ger begränsad vägledning för framtida rättstillämpning.
Sammantaget argumenteras för att ett vägledande avgörande från Högsta
domstolen hade varit påkallat, särskilt i frågor som rör tolkning av
vilseledandebegreppet och gränsdragningen mellan olika lagreglers krav.
Detta skulle kunna bidra till ökad förutsebarhet och en mer enhetlig
rättstillämpning. (Less)
Abstract
The basis of this thesis is the high-profile legal case concerning Swedbank’s
former CEO, Birgitte Bonnesen, who was convicted by the Svea Court of
Appeal of gross swindling and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Bonnesen
was found guilty of making misleading statements to the media regarding
Swedbank's anti-money laundering measures and connections to operations
of Danske Bank in Estonia, despite having non-public information pointing
in a different direction.

When studying the crime of swindling, it may appear relatively simple to
assess such cases. However, instances of swindling are rare in Swedish case
law, and when cases do arise, they often involve complex assessments and
interpretative issues. This thesis analyzes how... (More)
The basis of this thesis is the high-profile legal case concerning Swedbank’s
former CEO, Birgitte Bonnesen, who was convicted by the Svea Court of
Appeal of gross swindling and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Bonnesen
was found guilty of making misleading statements to the media regarding
Swedbank's anti-money laundering measures and connections to operations
of Danske Bank in Estonia, despite having non-public information pointing
in a different direction.

When studying the crime of swindling, it may appear relatively simple to
assess such cases. However, instances of swindling are rare in Swedish case
law, and when cases do arise, they often involve complex assessments and
interpretative issues. This thesis analyzes how the courts interpreted the crime of swindling in the Bonnesen case, with a particular focus on the element of misleading. It also places this in the context of legislative history, doctrine, and prior case law. The primary research question is therefore whether, and potentially how, the outcome of the Bonnesen case might influence the future application of the crime of swindling.

In the Bonnesen case, the Svea Court of Appeal emphasized that only clear
violations of what can be deemed acceptable can result in criminal liability.
This assessment aligns with the purpose of the crime of swindling as well as
the rule of law. Nevertheless, the legal position remains unclear in several
respects. There is no uniform guidance regarding how the concretion and
precision of statements should be assessed, on the scope of punishable
omissions or on how an adequate overall assessment should be conducted.
While the Svea Court of Appeal’s judgement reflects a reasonable
assessment, it provides limited guidance for future application of the law.
Overall, it is argued that a guiding precedent from the Supreme Court would
be needed, particularly on issues concerning the interpretation of the
condition of misleading and interaction between different legal rules. Such
guidance could contribute to increased predictability and a more consistent
application of the law. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Ekdahl, Andrea LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20242
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Straffrätt, svindleri, vilseledande
language
Swedish
id
9180307
date added to LUP
2025-03-20 13:55:59
date last changed
2025-03-20 13:55:59
@misc{9180307,
  abstract     = {{The basis of this thesis is the high-profile legal case concerning Swedbank’s
former CEO, Birgitte Bonnesen, who was convicted by the Svea Court of
Appeal of gross swindling and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Bonnesen
was found guilty of making misleading statements to the media regarding
Swedbank's anti-money laundering measures and connections to operations
of Danske Bank in Estonia, despite having non-public information pointing
in a different direction.

When studying the crime of swindling, it may appear relatively simple to
assess such cases. However, instances of swindling are rare in Swedish case
law, and when cases do arise, they often involve complex assessments and
interpretative issues. This thesis analyzes how the courts interpreted the crime of swindling in the Bonnesen case, with a particular focus on the element of misleading. It also places this in the context of legislative history, doctrine, and prior case law. The primary research question is therefore whether, and potentially how, the outcome of the Bonnesen case might influence the future application of the crime of swindling.

In the Bonnesen case, the Svea Court of Appeal emphasized that only clear
violations of what can be deemed acceptable can result in criminal liability.
This assessment aligns with the purpose of the crime of swindling as well as
the rule of law. Nevertheless, the legal position remains unclear in several
respects. There is no uniform guidance regarding how the concretion and
precision of statements should be assessed, on the scope of punishable
omissions or on how an adequate overall assessment should be conducted.
While the Svea Court of Appeal’s judgement reflects a reasonable
assessment, it provides limited guidance for future application of the law.
Overall, it is argued that a guiding precedent from the Supreme Court would
be needed, particularly on issues concerning the interpretation of the
condition of misleading and interaction between different legal rules. Such
guidance could contribute to increased predictability and a more consistent
application of the law.}},
  author       = {{Ekdahl, Andrea}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Svindleribestämmelsen i ljuset av Bonnesen–fallet - En granskning med fokus på vilseledanderekvisitet}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}