The Danish People’s Party’s (DF) deputy leader Morten Messerschmidt has been sentenced to six months’ conditional imprisonment for EU funds-related fraud and forgery.
Messerschmidt immediately announced that he was appealing the verdict. Messerschmidt was charged with fraud with EU funds and forgery, among other things, in connection with a false contract with Color Hotel Skagen.
According to the indictment, Messerschmidt illegally received around NOK 100,000 from the EU in 2014 and 2015 to cover expenses for EU conferences that never took place.
The prosecuting authority believes that it has provided evidence that the money, on the other hand, went to cover expenses in connection with group meetings in the Danish People’s Party.
Denies criminal guilt
Messerschmidt has denied criminal guilt and said in court that he did not know he was signing a fake contract with the hotel.
Prosecutor Andreas Myllerup Laursen pointed out that the DF’s deputy leader has given a number of different explanations for what actually happened in connection with the alleged EU conferences over the years.
Messerschmidt’s lawyer denied that his client had any motive to commit fraud.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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