Easy Money

52

JW lived Life. And all the while, Nenad kept in touch regularly. Almost three months’d passed since JW’d made up his mind-he wanted to play in the big leagues, with the big boys. Didn’t really understand why the equation demanded his participation, but apparently it was important to Nenad. He’d get his cut of the pie. After some bartering back and forth, they’d landed on 15 percent. If all went well, if the whole shipment made it safely into the country, if sales went off without a hitch at good prices, it would be more than six million. Jesus.

The money-laundering system was the great problem solver. Everything’d fallen into place a little over three months ago. The companies and accounts on the Isle of Man, the companies in Sweden, the invoices, the promissory notes, and the hiring contract. Damn nicely done.

JW dug the system he’d engineered for himself-the placement when JW’s C cash was transferred as payment for fantasy marketing costs in England. He designed the invoices for the made-up English advertising and marketing companies himself. They all had the same account number-his own company’s account with the Central Union Bank. Nothing strange about that-on paper, his fake business was dealing British antiques. His two point persons at the Swedish banks loved him. Every time they saw each other, JW doled out compliments, made them laugh and listen to his stories about leather armchairs or glass tables with marble legs. Top-shelf trust. Phase one of moving the money-transforming the cash into electronic records-went smoothly. The next phase-concealment-consisted of transferring the money to JW’s island company. The company’d acquired a name, C Solutions, Ltd. He liked the catchy C in the name. The money was protected, hidden, secure. No one but JW had the right to know how much and where it was.

The last phase-the actual washing-was genius. C Solutions, Ltd., loaned money to JW’s third Swedish company, JW Consulting, Ltd. Promissory notes had been drawn up by JW’s own banker, who, in turn, documented the transactions. Interest and payments were regulated. Advanced legal clauses were in place: Event of Default, Governing Law, Termination-everything according to the Isle of Man’s legislation. From the perspective of the Swedish authorities, JW’s Swedish company got loans from a foreign company. Nothing shady about that. The contracts were completely in order. Carefully calculated circuit: JW paid invoices to his own company, which, in turn, loaned out the money; then he paid himself interest. JW Consulting, Ltd., was stocking up; there was already half a million kronor in the bank, totally legit. If anyone wondered what the company was using the money for, the answer was a given: It was to cover the initial start-up costs, like a company car and cell phone for JW. In addition, there was the possibility of fake-investing the money and earning profits that would become the company’s own capital. Best of all, the interest being paid back to the island company was tax-deductible.

The Swedish company bought the BMW JW’d been coveting for 200,000 kronor, cash-the rest to be paid in installments. Formally, it was owned by the company, but it was at JW’s full disposal. The day he picked it up from the dealer was one of the best of his life, even better than the day at the luxury department store in London.

To buy an apartment was trickier. It was rare that a legal person was permitted to own a co-op in Sweden. JW’s company couldn’t formally pay for it. The solution was that JW Consulting, Ltd., called a board meeting. Signed off on the agenda, decided that three hundred grand would be granted to JW personally.

The effect of all the legal stuff was that, last week, he’d put a 300,000-kronor down payment on a luxuriously renovated one-bedroom on Kommendorsgatan. Six hundred and forty-five square feet. Total price: 3.2 million. It was worth every penny-sure, the apartment wasn’t huge, but it was enough. Hardwood floors, high ceilings, moldings, deep windows, and a tiled woodstove gave the right feel. He didn’t have money left over to buy sweet furniture, but that wasn’t a problem-when the big delivery’d been made, and the dealing was well on its way, JW would go wild at Nordiska Galleriet, Stockholm’s premier luxury design destination. Become high-class. Become in line with his image of himself.

It’d all gone so fast. In just a few months, he was living under the same circumstances as Nippe, Putte, Fredrik, and the others. Owned a car and an apartment in the golden rectangle.

It could only get better. Since the spring, he’d averaged 200,000 a month. He and Jet Set Carl were an unbeatable team. Carl planned the parties, invited the people, ran the PR parade. JW guaranteed a full rager and full noses. The money in Sweden was transferred to C Solutions, Ltd.’s account on the Isle of Man, then back to JW Consulting, Ltd. It was a complicated, time-consuming, and expensive process. But when the big C delivery’d been made, it would be worth every penny.

He’d tried to explain the system to Abdulkarim. The Arab understood the magnitude vaguely and wanted in. JW praised himself. He was the man who’d thought to plan ahead-after all, he’d bought yet another company on the island and opened accounts for it. Now that Abdulkarim was interested, there was a possibility of running his business, too. Easy enough to activate the other company and start up an even bigger money circuit. Nenad praised him, too, pronounced the situation first-rate. Demanded an in. JW was happy to oblige. Opened accounts. Fixed contracts. Within a month, the Arab, the Serb, and whoever else who wanted would be able buy their way into JW’s system. In: pitch-black cash. Out: pure white fleece.

JW’d always known that Sophie knew Princess Madeleine. But the feeling of being invited, and even seeing himself in the back pages of the royal gossip rag, was a joy comparable to the car purchase.

And Sophie’d stopped asking about Jorge and the others. Maybe it’d been enough for her to meet the Chilean that one time. JW was insecure; sometimes it felt like she was letting him go. Was it because she felt like he was hiding too much? His constant source of insecurity. Should he let her meet his dealer friends? That was impossible. A live gun against JW’s temple. Sure, she’d met Jorge and everything was peachy keen, but the Arab’s rough manner and Fahdi’s crude jokes-never. JW pushed the thought aside. It was a relief that Sophie’d stopped asking. At the same time, his fear that the whole thing would go to hell kept growing. No way it could fall apart now. Not when he was so close to self-realization.

He was waiting to hear from the police regarding new findings about Camilla, but nothing happened. At the end of June, almost six months after he’d given them all he knew, he decided to call the investigator.

He got the cold shoulder. The police explained that he didn’t have any actual right to information about the investigation regarding Camilla’s disappearance. “Confidentiality, you know.” If the police chose to communicate with anyone, it would be with the parents, Margareta and Bengt Westlund, not JW. “Also, in the case in question, no breakthrough has been made, therefore, there is nothing to report.”

He remained sitting with the receiver in hand for half an hour, just staring into space. Couldn’t believe it. What the hell were they doing? He’d served them the Komvux teacher’s head on a platter. Of course, Jan Bruneus had something to do with Camilla’s disappearance.

Sometimes he considered sending Fahdi to take care of Bruneus. Exert some pressure of his own to make the teacher talk.

JW ran his C business irreproachably. But as long as Camilla’s face was the first thing on his retina every morning, he couldn’t find peace.

The following day, he called his mom. He hadn’t spoken to her in two months.

“Johan, you never call and you don’t pick up when I try to call.” The first thing she did was guilt-trip him. No wonder he didn’t call more often.

“I know, Mom, I’m sorry. How are you guys?”

“As usual. Nothing changes up here.” JW understood. Grief still lay like a lid over her voice.

“I heard from a girlfriend yesterday that there’d been a picture of you in Svensk Damtidning. I ran right away and bought the magazine. I was going to call you today. How fun, Johan. At the princess’s party and all. Did you see the king?”

“I did, actually. He was happy and seemed nice.”

“I had no idea you knew those people.”

“They’re friends from school. Nice people.”

“Dad won one of those lottery things you scrape yesterday. Can you imagine? He scraped three one thousands. We didn’t see it at first. We scraped it together. The most we’d won before was three hundred kronor.”

“Well, that’s great. So, did you buy more tickets?”

“No. We went out for dinner in Robertsfors.”

The story made JW happy. As far as he knew, they hadn’t gone out to eat, not even to Robertsfors’s only decent restaurant, since Camilla’d disappeared.

“Mom, there’s something I want to tell you.”

Margareta was silent. Could tell by JW’s voice what it was about.

“The police have new information about Camilla.”

He heard her breathing on the other end of the line.

He kept talking. Told her the whole Jan Bruneus story. When he was finished, Margareta asked how he knew.

He avoided answering.

“Mom, you have to call the police. I know you don’t like doing it, but you have to. Find out if they know anything else. Put pressure on them to keep the investigation open. We have the right to know what happened.”

“I can’t do it. Dad’ll have to call.”

JW spoke to Bengt. His dad was in a bad mood. JW explained again. It was as if his father didn’t want to understand. He asked stupid questions. “Why did she cut so many classes? She must’ve known that bad attendance would mean lower grades.”

The frustration grew. Finally, JW almost yelled, “If you don’t call the police, I won’t talk to you anymore!”

An ugly threat. Low. But what was he supposed to do?

He apologized.

Bengt promised to call the police.

JW sat on the bed in his beautiful new apartment. He pulled his legs up and hugged them to his chest.

Thought about calling Sophie. Telling her everything about his parents. About Camilla.

No, he couldn’t do it.

The next day, he busied himself with the regular: Abdulkarim’s project, the C business, expansion plans, the collaboration with Jorge. Preparations with Abdulkarim and Jorge for the big C delivery. The Arab’d deliberately dried up the market. Wanted to press up the prices before the shipment’s arrival. It meant more time to study for JW, which he needed. He leaked information to Nenad like a sieve. Called him a few times a week with reports. It was starting to feel normal.

And then, on a day in June, the message arrived: The cabbages in England’d finished growing. They were big and dense enough. In a week, they would arrive, packed in containers.

JW and Abdulkarim’d contracted a real transportation company, Schenker Vegetables, Ltd. They’d booked storage spaces around town where the shit would be stored, conferred with the Brits about price guarantees and quality control, made sure the right drivers handled the load. Organized and planned to the max.

Soon they’d flood Stockholm’s boroughs with massive quantities of C.

JW and Jorge’d calculated, contemplated. Organized the dealers in accordance with the new quantities that would be available.

The early summer air was thick with excitement.

Within a few months, if all went according to plan, JW would be a multimillionaire.

LINDSKOG MALMSTROM LAW FIRM

BANKRUPTCY ESTATE INVENTORY DEED

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

DEBTORS

Stockholm’s Video Specialist, Ltd., 556987-2265

The Video Buddy, Ltd., 55655-6897

Registered location: Stockholm

Registered Representatives

Member of the Board Christer Lindberg

Ekholmsvagen 35

127 48 SKARHOLMEN

Deputy Eva Groberg (deceased)

Portholmsgangen 47

127 48 SKARHOLMEN

ACCOUNTANT

Mikhael Stoianovic

SHARE CAPITAL

100,000 kronor

DAY OF INSOLVENCY

June 10 of this year

BANKRUPTCY ADMINISTRATOR

Goran Grundberg

B. OVERVIEW OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

The bankruptcy estate inventory deed shows the following:

ASSETS

(Primarily assets from cash registers, inventories, and current assets in the form of VHS and DVD films)

11,124.00

LIABILITIES

Prioritized debts (tax claims)

174,612.00

FLR § 11

Nonprioritized debts

43,268.00

Estate’s deficit

206,756.00

The estate inventory has been approved by the company’s registered representative.

C. INTRODUCTION

GENERAL

Since a while back, I have been investigating a number of companies that are suspected of being a part of a so-called money-laundering scheme. The debtors in question, Stockholm Video Specialist, Ltd. (referred to below as Video Specialist), and the Video Buddy, Ltd. (referred to below as Video Buddy), are suspected of being a part of a group of companies with connection to the so-called Yugoslavian Mafia in Stockholm. Other companies included in the same sphere are Clara’s Kitchen amp; Bar, Ltd., Diamond Catering, Ltd., and the Demolition Experts in Nalsta, Ltd. The companies are involved in varying fields of business, but the so-called shadow owners are probably the same.

DEBTORS

Christer Lindberg acquired Video Specialist in September of last year from Ali Koyglu, who previously operated a dry-cleaning business on the premises. According to Christer Lindberg, the purchase price was 130,000 kronor. We have been unable to confirm that figure with Ali Koyglu. Christer Lindberg acquired Video Buddy in the course of the same month from Oz Izdan, who previously operated a video-rental business on the premises, under the company name Karlaplans Video, Ltd. Christer Lindberg has informed us that he is unable to recall the purchase price. Oz Izdan has refused to answer questions regarding the sale. According to Christer Lindberg, no written documents were drawn up over the sale.

Christer Lindberg has not been active as director. He has had nothing to do with the accounts, nor played an active part in the decision-making process of the companies in question.

BACKGROUND AND DATE OF COMPANIES’ INSOLVENCY

The debt largely constitutes tax liabilities. The companies have probably been run in order to launder money for the shadow owners. Secret accounts have been kept, which reveal that the companies’ actual proceeds amount to the following (average numbers calculated based on the first six months of operation): Video Specialist, 52,017 kronor; Video Buddy, 46,122 kronor. The figures reported to the tax authorities between November and March of the current year show heavily inflated profits for both companies. This money has not been derived through the revenues of the companies’ business.

In April of this year, tax payments were reduced markedly and appear to have become based on the companies’ actual profits. Tax authorities made estimated assessments based on the previous fiscal year; in other words, based on the fictive profits. Insolvency is therefore caused by a lack of funds to pay existing tax liabilities. The date of insolvency for both companies has been fixed for the end of May.

BANKRUPTCY, ETC.

On May 11 of this year, the Enforcement Authority requested that the companies be declared bankrupt. The district court decided to declare the companies bankrupt on May 12. Christer Lindberg had no objection to the decision. He has been called to a creditor’s meetings on several occasions. He has not appeared voluntarily. On June 12, the district court ruled that the debtor be collected by the police, at which point Christer Lindberg made an appearance. He testified under oath that he was unaware that parts of the companies’ reported income did not derive from the video-rental business.

ALLEGED CRIME

The undersigned is of the view that Christer Lindberg has acted as a so-called straw man for the companies. He has had no insight into operations but, rather, has served solely as the physical person liable for the companies’ business on paper. The tax authorities have filed a notice of suspected crime with the Economic Crime Authority and an investigation has begun. The bankruptcy investigation has been carried out in cooperation with the Economic Crime Authority and the National Tax Agency.

Goran Grundberg