Peter Bindner, an event organizer, has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison and fined DKK 28 million for defrauding the Agency for Culture and Palaces of DKK 7 million in corona support funds. The Copenhagen City Court found Bindner and his partner guilty of deliberately exaggerating expenses for a series of events during the pandemic.

The court determined that the pair received the maximum support amount of DKK 12 million, despite their expenses being no more than DKK 5 million. The fraud involved events such as living room concerts featuring the Beatles hit “All You Need is Love” and events with a double-decker bus during Christmas, featuring a gospel choir and violin and harp performances.

The judgment highlighted the extensive experience of both convicts, who have at least 25 years in the event industry.

Following a discussion with their defense attorney, the convicts decided to appeal the judgment to the Eastern High Court, seeking acquittal or a reduced sentence.

The significant fine of DKK 28 million is a result of a specific provision for corona support fraud, which mandates a quadrupling of the standard fine. The prison sentence was also subject to a doubling provision for these cases.

While the presiding judge noted that the defendants initially faced a four-year prison sentence, it was reduced by six months due to unreasonable delays in processing the case by the authorities. The court acquitted the defendants of several charges of attempted fraud.