– It sends the completely wrong signal, says the company’s chairman of the board, Erik Kongsvik-Ibsen.
– We have done everything in our power to clean up. We have paid the customers what they are entitled to and have reported it to the police. The case would never have come up if we had not come up with it, he says.
The Public Prosecutor for Special Economic and International Crime (Søik) has charged the company with gross fraud for DKK 91 million. In addition, three people have been charged. They are protected by a name ban and deny guilt.
The alleged fraud must have occurred over four and a half years. Data on the number of cinema guests who saw the commercials were deliberately manipulated and screwed up too high, the indictment alleges.
As a result, customers were over-invoiced and had to pay more than they should, it appears.
The indictment states that the company, as a so-called legal person, is “responsible for” what happened and thus has committed fraud. Dansk Reklame Film denies guilt.
– It (the alleged fraud, ed.) Has been kept hidden by a few employees, says Erik Kongsvik-Ibsen.
Dansk Reklame Film A / S, which is owned by Nordisk Film, has paid a total of DKK 95 million to customers as compensation.
Overall, the company is left with a double-digit million loss, says Erik Kongsvik-Ibsen.
– Since we have compensated the customers, we have just paid all the money back, so in all the years there is a deficit in the company. It is of a size where we have to borrow money from our owners to cover it, he says.
He also says that the method of calculating the advertising sales has been changed so that customers are not cheated again.
– Now we settle directly on actual tickets from each performance, says Erik Kongsvik-Ibsen.
Two of the three people charged in the case are accused of fraud for 91 million kroner, while the amount for the latter is 75 million kroner.
If convicted, they risk jail time while the company could face a fine. The case is set to last six days.