Two tradesmen have been convicted of money laundering by the Court in Glostrup on Thursday, marking a significant ruling in a series of test cases. The National Unit for Special Crime (NSK) brought the cases to clarify whether tradesmen who purchased fictitious invoices from “invoice factories” are guilty of self-laundering.

The four cases originate from the “Outpay” case complex, where several individuals have already been convicted of laundering a total of DKK 350 million. The convicted tradesmen, from a construction company in Herlev, paid approximately DKK three million for fictitious invoices and then received cash in return, allegedly used for undeclared work, according to NSK.

In addition to money laundering, the two men were also convicted of VAT fraud amounting to DKK 585,000. The defendants pleaded not guilty, and their legal representatives have protested the introduction of what they consider a new legal precedent.