Five people are sentenced to prison in the scandal surrounding the notorious dinner bill at restaurant Atmosfär in Malmö.
The unpaid bill of over 80,000 kronor included champagne, cognac, and numerous shots.
It was on Christmas Day 2023 that the party, which consisted of a total of 35 people, had dinner for a total of 82,157 kronor at the restaurant. But when it was time to pay the bill, they disappeared in a taxi without paying.
Now, five people are being sentenced to prison in the scandal that has been rolled out after the restaurant visit, where many more frauds have come to light. For the four main suspects, two men and two women, the sentences range from one and a half to two years in prison.
The receipt from the night out in Malmö is part of the police's investigative material. It shows that it's not just good food that was consumed, but also a lot of drinks, such as two bottles of Dom Pérignon champagne, cognac, rum, and drinks, as well as 104 hot shots.
A Systematic Scam
The four main defendants have claimed that they had agreed with the restaurant to pay by invoice, which the restaurant owner denies. They have also admitted that they did not have the money to pay at the time, but that they first needed to collect it from the non-profit association that was supposed to cover the costs.
The prosecutor believes that the four have set up a system to start non-profit associations in order to be able to consume on invoice, with no intention of paying. The dinner at Atmosfär was booked by a non-profit association, which according to the convicted had the purpose of helping vulnerable families.
"It's simply the case that it's the founders themselves, their relatives, and closest friends who have made up the 'needy'. It has been a matter of entirely private living expenses for them, including food and household items, as well as pure luxury consumption of designer items, lavish restaurant visits, and exclusive hotel stays with spa treatments," says chief prosecutor Ylva Teurneau in a press release.
Trampolines and Spa
The charges concern a total of 32 different cases. According to the prosecutor, the frauds involve "everything under the sun".
Among the many unpaid invoices that the quartet has left behind in various parts of southern Sweden are, for example, 27.8 kilograms of loose candy and other sweets for 10,330 kronor, a bed for 82,600 kronor, furniture purchases of several hundred thousand kronor, shoes for 14,899 kronor, a hotel stay with spa treatments for 48,000 kronor, but that also includes inventory taken from the rooms. The bill is somewhat more modest for a visit to a trampoline park.
The frauds amount to over one million kronor and are said to have taken place between August 2022 and March 2024.
A 29-year-old woman is also sentenced to prison for one year. She has not been involved in as many frauds as the others.
