Former mayor convicted for corruption
The bill for expensive red wine and kick back deals finally catches up with the former mayor of Farum, Peter Brixtofte
A Hillerød court north of Copenhagen handed down a two-year prison sentence to the former mayor of Farum, Peter Brixtofte, on Tuesday.
The decision brings to a close one of the most outlandish cases of public corruption in recent history.
Brixofte was known as 'the king of Farum' until media reports began seeping out in 2002 of his misuse of power.
A public investigation was put into motion and found that the former mayor failed to adhere to democratic checks and balances while pursuing ambitious building projects such as a sports arena and the creation of a handball team.
The resulting court case found Brixtofte guilty, for example, of taking out a DKK 450 million loan without asking city council for permission. He also indulged in an extravagant use of public funds, hosting dinner banquets where guests were served wine worth DKK 6000 per bottle.
Although Brixtofte was not present when the court read out his sentence, his lawyer appealed the decision.
Brixtofte's sentence comes on top of another two-year prison sentence he received last June in which the court found Brixtofte guilty of overpaying Skanska construction company for a project. Skanska in turn was expected to pay for a sponsorship of Farum's handball club, which Brixtofte held a controlling interest in.