The 31-year-old man from Karlskorna is charged with suspicion of having cheated close to SEK 90 million by 96 private individuals in primarily southern Sweden - by having them invest in imagined business operations.

On Monday, the various parties held their final pleadings in the extensive fraud trial against the 31-year-old.

Prosecutors stressed that the 31-year-old lied and misled them, and that nothing but the maximum sentence of eight years in prison is reasonable.

- This is a significant amount that has caused a particularly tangible injury to the victims. Personally, I don't think the maximum penalty is enough in this case, but those are the rules we have in Sweden, said Kjell Janneson, prosecutor, before the court.

Blame the plaintiffs

The defense attorneys, for their part, pointed to a number of perceived shortcomings in the investigation. Among other things, about people who have never been interviewed and undrawn transactions. At the same time, they pointed out whether it is really reasonable to consider that the 31-year-old alone is guilty of the crimes.

- There are recruiters and marketers who have attracted interested parties to this arrangement. Obviously, the 31-year-old wasn't alone about this, it had never worked, said Thomas Martinson, defense attorney.

They also argued that the plaintiffs could to some extent have just as easily been charged.

- Landlords have been aware that this was not a legitimate business. They are fully aware that credit is taken in their name. And they haven't done any checks, says Thomas Martinson.

- The claimants have been indifferent to the fact that the banks have lent money on incorrect grounds. It is the banks that have been deceived, and the plaintiffs have been involved in misleading the banks, says Olov Mattsson Dismats, defense lawyer.

"Want to apologize"

Finally, the 31-year-old himself got the chance to comment on the lawsuit, and he did it the same way he did in the introduction.

- I'm sorry it has become like this. I understand that it has caused harm to everyone involved and I want to apologize for it, he said before the court.

The district court decided that the 31-year-old should remain detained until the verdict falls on June 24.