Founder and former manager of the Trygg Handel is currently accused of murder along with another Swede. The two are charged with the killing of Swedish-Russian Maksim Schantz. The trial is to be resumed this month.
Schantz was stabbed and killed after he went to the police with information that lead to a large raid in the offices of Tryg Handel. The accused sought out Schantz a few months after the raid.
The confrontation ended tragically when Schantz was stabbed in the neck and died. The founder of Trygg Handel denies the accusations while his compatriot has pleaded guilty but explained that it was an accident and that they did not intend to kill Schantz.
The drama started three years ago. In March, 2010, Trygg Handel were hiring employees for a sales office in Thailand. Ten salesmen were to be recruited to sales of memberships for companies in Norway. The business launched but in February 2011 it was over.
At that time Thai police raided the offices of the company. Norwegian and Thai media reported that the police suspected the company of scamming Norwegian businesses. Four Norwegians and to Swedes were apprehended and jailed in Thailand. They were suspected of selling services that did not exist.
The charges were later dropped and the four were released.
In May 2010, the Swede who was originally the manager resigned and left the reins to Per Fredrik Svedlund.
In august 2011 the case took a new turn when Swedish-Russian Maksim Schantz was stabbed to death.
The former manager and another Swede were suspected of the murder. According to the police, the motive was business differences.
Police reports that Schantz was employed by Trygg Handel but had quit and started his own business.
Police investigator Maj Nackaphan Photha confirmed to Phuket Gazette that the raid against Trygg Handel was carried out because of information from the murder victim Schantz.
Current manager Per Fredrik Svedlund emphasized to TV2.no that the company no longer has any outstandings with the Thai authorities and that the company is not in any way related to the murder.
”Trygg Handel cannot be held responsible for what a former employee does after leaving the company,” he writes in an email to TV2.no.
Seeing as one pleads guilty and another claims innocence, the trial has been separated in two. The trail against the Swede who is pleading guilty will be resumed on June 27 according to Swedish blogger Jan Kalmann. The trial of the former manager resumed on June 14.
The widow of the victim has sued the two Swedes for several million baht. It has not yet been decided when this part of the case will be tried.
Read the full article in Norwegian at tv2.no
