Unibet slams arrest of CEO Petter Nylander for breach of French monopoly law |
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Tue, 23 Oct 2007 08:34
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STOCKHOLM (Thomson Financial) - The international onlining gaming company Unibet Group PLC said it is 'outraged' at the arrest of its chief executive CEO Petter Nylander last night under a European arrest warrant issued by French authorities.Nylander was detained by Dutch authorities after checking in for a flight to return to his home in the UK.The arrest relates to proceedings filed in 2006 by the French state-owned lottery companies, Francaise des Jeux and horse betting monopoly PMU against Unibet, alleging breach of French laws from 1836 and 1891 protecting State-owned monopolies.The French monopoly laws behind the arrest are being challenged by the European Commission, and the European Court of Justice has stated it is against EU Treaty law to bring criminal proceedings against legitimate operators based in other EU member states, said Unibet.'Unibet is outraged by France's total disregard of European Community law,' the company said.It has appointed chief financial officer Ragnar Hellenius as acting CEO until Nylander is released.'This situation is clearly unacceptable and extraordinary in ours and in any industry. It is our view that this use of the possibility for cross-border legal actions is a clear abuse of their true aim, and in all aspects, disproportionate,' said Hellenius.simon.richardson@thomson.comsjr/jfrCOPYRIGHTCopyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.
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