Unibet CEO Nylander to appear in court for breach of 1836 French monopoly law |
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Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:13
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STOCKHOLM (Thomson Financial) - Swedish chief executive of Unibet Group PLC, Petter Nylander is to appear before a Dutch court on this afternoon after his arrest on Monday for breach of a French monopoly law dating from 1836, reported the news agency TT.Nylander was on his way home to Britain when he was arrested at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport by Dutch Authorities at the behest of the French for breaking laws protecting France's state gambling monopoly.He has been in a prison cell since his arrest leading to a strong rebuke from Unibet's head lawyer, Ewout Keelers.'To arrest him and keep him locked up in a cell is nothing short of Guantanamo treatment,' he told TT.Keeler said the arrest is politically motivated, adding: 'To use an arrest warrant to protect a gambling monopoly goes beyond what can be considered acceptable.'The French monopoly laws 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.However today the European Commission washed its hands of Nylander's plight. Commission spokesman Oliver Drewes said it is 'a matter for the French and Dutch authorities to sort out..., not a matter for us any more'.Yesterday, Drewes said: 'It could very well be that somebody has been arrested who is innocent.'simon.richardson@thomson.comsjr/salCOPYRIGHTCopyright 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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Unibet slams arrest of CEO Petter Nylander for breach of French monopoly law 