persons, three women and one man, who was identified as primarily responsible
for widespread human trafficking from
to
was acquitted today June 26, 2008 by Halmstad district court.
The
prosecutors request for the expulsion of two of the suspects was also rejected.
A total of 34 people were indicted in human traffickin.
District Court considers it established that the four main suspects arranged
marriage or engagement between Vietnamese citizens and residents of
trade. It is also proved that the main aim has been to secure Vietnamese would
get residence and work permit in
accused can not be held guilty of serious organizing the smuggling of human
beings, the court said in its judgements.
is that the prosecutor, according to
district court, has not been able to show that foreign nationals were smuggled
into the country instead of using ordinary passport.
the Vietnamese came to
with genuine paper and the necessary permits. And even if documents were issued
on false grounds, this does not mean that they are false, the court explain.
Chief prosecutor
Thomas Wennerstrand is disappointed that the main suspects go free.
clear. When I brought the indictment to the court of course I thought that it
would hold. But the prosecution was dismissed not because our evidence did not
held, but because the law on people smuggling in this case is not applicable,
he says to TT.
fears that the judgement, if it is indicative, will eliminate regulated
immigration to
and other European countries.
“I will now
analyse the judgement, but it could be the right move to allow this to be
examined in a higher court because the practice in this area is lacking”, he
says.
Stefan
Andersson is not surprised by the judgement.
on the contrary been very disappointed if the court had come up with something
else. It is not illegal to match people and charge them for the service in
it’s vice versa, in many places”, he says.
trial went on in Halmstad district court during 33 days in the spring. In
addition to the four main suspects, 30 other people were prosecuted 30 for
human for smuggling since they entered into marriages of convenience or brought
with them children to Sweden from Vietnam who were not their own.
also suspected of having defrauded the social insurance fund of money by
cutting out different types of subsidies for these children.
co- prosecuted exonerate now entirely of Halmstad district court while the four
sentenced to daily fines for violation of the Aliens Act and a person received
conditionally jail for theft.
to prosecutors, the trial is the biggest in
convenience. The case covers nearly 8 000 pages and is based on testimony,
telephone tapping and a large quantity of seized documents.
