The three defendants in the so-called Exeter Case all maintained their innocence when the case opened in Reykjavík District Court yesterday. It is the first court case in Iceland based on a charge issued by the Special Prosecutor.
Reykjavík District Court.
“I am innocent,” declared Jón Thorsteinn Jónsson, former chairman of the board of savings bank Byr when the judge asked him about his position on the charges against him, Fréttabladid described.
Former Byr director Ragnar Zóphanías Gudjónsson and former director of MP Bank Styrmir Thór Gunnarsson took the same position.
Jónsson and Gudjónsson are facing charges for extensive breaches of trust in their work for Byr. Gunnarsson is charged for having assisted them in their violations and for money laundering. Various documents were submitted at the court yesterday.
The lawyers of the defendants were given an extension until September 30 to hand in a statement on the case. “It will take some time before this case will go into material handling,” commented Ragnar H. Hall, Gunnarsson’s attorney.
Jónsson and Gudjónsson would not speak with journalists after court was adjourned but Gunnarsson commented: “I consider these accusations unfounded.”
Click here to read more about this story.
