Investigating the Tvind organisation and exchanging information in 50 countries
http://www.tvindalert.com
No 14 17th March 2003

THE BUTTERFLY McQUEEN - FULL DETAILS OF THAT ITALIAN MARBLE AND EBONY

March 16th:   In the early 1990s, the Teachers Group bought a luxury 30m yacht, the Butterfly McQueen (left), complete with guest cabins for 12 in Italian marble and cherry wood. It has recently been put up for sale at $3.3m.

You can now see a full description and sequence of pictures of the Butterfly McQueen by clicking this link:  Butterfly McQueen   For all the images, click 'slide show'.  Click 'details' and scroll down for the description.

The boat was moored for many years off Miami, near Amdi Petersen's luxury Fisher Island apartment.  In the last three years it has sailed to Fiji.    The sales details comments:  "A three (3) year cruise through the South Pacific finds her in Fiji where the owners have put her on the market following completion of their dream cruise."!!

Who was on this 'dream cruise', we wonder.   Tvind is believed to have property, farms or commercial interests in Fiji.   We have one listed company, Pacific Farming Ltd.  Two Fiji residents,  Peter Kjaer and Lilian Ekbom, are associated with Tvind as signatories of a Swiss trust, Gaia.  We would like more information

For a summary, click the link on the left, 'Luxury Yacht'

---

TRIAL BEGINS IN DENMARK'S FIRST COMPUTERISED COURTROOM

March 5th:  The trial for fraud of Amdi Petersen and seven Teachers Group members has begun in Denmark's first computerised courtroom.

Amdi Petersen arrived for the hearing.  The first day of the trial, when all 8 pleaded not guilty, was spent in  legal arguments and planning the next 80 days in court. It is now scheduled to last until October next year.

With thousands of pages of complex evidence, the trial will use computer screens instead of files in ring binders.  If all the paper files were laid end to end, it would stretch for 100 metres, according to newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

Forty witnesses, including 15 former members of Tvind's Teachers Group, are expected to give evidence against Amdi Petersen and seven other TG members in the trial involving fraud and embezzlement for 25 million euros ($25 million).

PETERSEN TRIAL NEWS:

Day 2:  6th March: In his opening statement, prosecutor Poul Gade said that not one of 40 members of the Teachers Group contacted by police would answer questions.  "I don't believe one would experience this in a Rotary club. This would only happen in a gang of Rockers"  more

Day 3:  12th March: Tvind leaders created a series of non-existent aid projects and intermediate funds, to move money from the so-called Humanitarian Fund into other Tvind accounts without paying tax, the court in Ringkbing heard.  One scheme, called 'Global Research', involved sending a ship to Central America, but none of the projects ever happened according to participant Hans la Cour. In a single year, Tvind 'paid itself' at least a tax-free 5.4 million krone (appx $800,000), the prosecution say.   more

---

BANANA WORKERS DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE COURT

March 5th:  Two banana-workers from a Tvind-plantation in Ecuador today demonstrated against the bad working conditions at the start of the trial against Tvind-leader Mogens Amdi Petersen.  The two workers are supported by a translator the Danish trade union SiD, which recently visited plantations in Belize and Ecuador.

The protest is about Tvind witholding money for the workers' illness insurance and withholding salary, child labour, workers getting fired when they become a member of a trade union and the use of insecticides during work. The workers hope to get the Tvind leaders to talk about these conditions as a result of this demonstration.

SiD, which originally backed Tvind, recently called on Danish municipalities to ban Tvind's UFF 'charity' clothing containers because of the bad working conditions on Tvind's plantations. Source: Berlingske Tidende.

 more on Ecuador plantations

---

TVIND 'IS LEAVING ECUADOR'

7th March 2003:  Tvind is leaving Ecuador.  Local workers union representative says that Tvind has sold the Rio Culebra to a local sugar farmer.  The Santa Rita plantation was sold October last year and the third Tvind farm, La Italia, is also up for sale.2003, Mar. 7.  Source:   SID/Fagbladet and Jes Fabricius Mller.

---

COPENHAGEN CITY COUNCIL BANS HUMANA/UFF CLOTHES BANKS

10th March.   Source: SID/Fagbladet and Jes Fabricius Mller

---

HUMANA HOLLAND RECEIVES 11,788 EUROS FROM 'COINS FOR CARE' CHARITY

13th March:   www.coinsforcare.nl

---

TVIND NOW FACES HUMAN RIGHTS TRIAL

8th March: Mogens Amdi Petersen and the other members of Tvinds management will now be accused at the Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg for violation of human rights. 
CEOST, the federation of free trade unions in Ecuador, wants to bring the Tvind management to the Court for Human Rights because of infringements on trade union leaders at one of Tvind banana plantations in Ecuador. Simultaneously, the whole banana sector in Ecuador will be accused for violation of the right to organize (or: to unite). The trade union members are in Denmark to provoke the attention on an amount of 600.000 dollars which Tvind allegedly owes to 100 plantation workers who were fired last year after a strike.
After having tried earlier this week to get the alleged Tvind-leader Amdi Petersen to talk in front of the court building in rhus, the Ecuadorians appeared Saturday afternoon in front of Tvind's headquarters in Grindsted, backed by 15 to 20 persons from the Danish trade union Sid.

(Source: Danish press)

more on Ecuador plantations

---

BELGIAN MONEY LAUNDERING CASE IS POSTPONED AGAIN

6th March 2003:  The separate Belgian court case against eight members of the Teachers Group on 5m euro money laundering is due to be postponed again, reports Dutch newspaper Trouw.

The case should have started in November last year.  It was put back to May 25th, but will be postponed again because the police investigation is not finished yet.

One of the TG members charged is Flemming Gustaffson, who is connected to ConMore BV in Holland, an important Tvind clothes trading company that buys clothes from the Humana organisations in Europe for export.

Mr Gustaffson previously ran EC Trading, another Tvind used clothes trading company, which went bankrupt in 2000 owing 1.4m.

More on the bankruptcy of EC Trading

---

NEW TVIND TIMBER TRADING  ENTERPRISE IN RUSSIA

Tvind TG member Kim Bonde Anderson is running a Tvind timber company in Russia, according to information sent to Tvind Alert.    more

 

 

---

ROSKILDE SCHOOL:  COURT COSTS 'CHECKMATE'

Denmark:  A number of Tvind-schools are not likely to be re-opened, after the Tvind-school in Roskilde had to give up in a court case against the Danish Ministry of Education.   Unexpectedly the court costs were raised from 500 to 470.000 Danish Kroner.   The school in Roskilde can not pay this fee.
Government recognition of the school was withdrawn in 1999, because the Ministry of Education regarded the school as too dependant on Tvind.   The school wanted to try to prove that is not the case anymore, but because of the high court costs it will not have the opportunity to do so.    The same goes for many other Tvind-schools.

---

Tvind Alert
PO Box 45002
London
N4 3XL
tel +44 (0) 7775 531612
fax +44 (0) 7031151871
http://www.tvindalert.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 16th:   In the early 1990s, the Teachers Group bought a luxury 30m yacht, the Butterfly McQueen (left), complete with guest cabins for 12 in Italian marble and cherry wood. It has recently been put up for sale at $3.3m.

You can now see a full description and sequence of pictures of the Butterfly McQueen by clicking this link:  Butterfly McQueen   For all the images, click 'slide show'.  Click 'details' and scroll down for the description.

The boat was moored for many years off Miami, near Amdi Petersen's luxury Fisher Island apartment.  In the last three years it has sailed to Fiji.    The sales details comments:  "A three (3) year cruise through the South Pacific finds her in Fiji where the owners have put her on the market following completion of their dream cruise."!!

Who was on this 'dream cruise', we wonder.   Tvind is believed to have property, farms or commercial interests in Fiji.   We have one listed company, Pacific Farming Ltd.  Two Fiji residents,  Peter Kjaer and Lilian Ekbom, are associated with Tvind as signatories of a Swiss trust, Gaia.  We would like more information

For a summary, click the link on the left, 'Luxury Yacht'

---

TRIAL BEGINS IN DENMARK'S FIRST COMPUTERISED COURTROOM

March 5th:  The trial for fraud of Amdi Petersen and seven Teachers Group members has begun in Denmark's first computerised courtroom.

Amdi Petersen arrived for the hearing.  The first day of the trial, when all 8 pleaded not guilty, was spent in  legal arguments and planning the next 80 days in court. It is now scheduled to last until October next year.

With thousands of pages of complex evidence, the trial will use computer screens instead of files in ring binders.  If all the paper files were laid end to end, it would stretch for 100 metres, according to newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

Forty witnesses, including 15 former members of Tvind's Teachers Group, are expected to give evidence against Amdi Petersen and seven other TG members in the trial involving fraud and embezzlement for 25 million euros ($25 million).

PETERSEN TRIAL NEWS:

Day 2:  6th March: In his opening statement, prosecutor Poul Gade said that not one of 40 members of the Teachers Group contacted by police would answer questions.  "I don't believe one would experience this in a Rotary club. This would only happen in a gang of Rockers"  more

Day 3:  12th March: Tvind leaders created a series of non-existent aid projects and intermediate funds, to move money from the so-called Humanitarian Fund into other Tvind accounts without paying tax, the court in Ringkbing heard.  One scheme, called 'Global Research', involved sending a ship to Central America, but none of the projects ever happened according to participant Hans la Cour. In a single year, Tvind 'paid itself' at least a tax-free 5.4 million krone (appx $800,000), the prosecution say.   more

---

BANANA WORKERS DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE COURT

March 5th:  Two banana-workers from a Tvind-plantation in Ecuador today demonstrated against the bad working conditions at the start of the trial against Tvind-leader Mogens Amdi Petersen.  The two workers are supported by a translator the Danish trade union SiD, which recently visited plantations in Belize and Ecuador.

The protest is about Tvind witholding money for the workers' illness insurance and withholding salary, child labour, workers getting fired when they become a member of a trade union and the use of insecticides during work. The workers hope to get the Tvind leaders to talk about these conditions as a result of this demonstration.

SiD, which originally backed Tvind, recently called on Danish municipalities to ban Tvind's UFF 'charity' clothing containers because of the bad working conditions on Tvind's plantations. Source: Berlingske Tidende.

 more on Ecuador plantations

---

TVIND 'IS LEAVING ECUADOR'

7th March 2003:  Tvind is leaving Ecuador.  Local workers union representative says that Tvind has sold the Rio Culebra to a local sugar farmer.  The Santa Rita plantation was sold October last year and the third Tvind farm, La Italia, is also up for sale.2003, Mar. 7.  Source:   SID/Fagbladet and Jes Fabricius Mller.

---

COPENHAGEN CITY COUNCIL BANS HUMANA/UFF CLOTHES BANKS

10th March.   Source: SID/Fagbladet and Jes Fabricius Mller

---

HUMANA HOLLAND RECEIVES 11,788 EUROS FROM 'COINS FOR CARE' CHARITY

13th March:   www.coinsforcare.nl

---

TVIND NOW FACES HUMAN RIGHTS TRIAL

8th March: Mogens Amdi Petersen and the other members of Tvinds management will now be accused at the Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg for violation of human rights. 
CEOST, the federation of free trade unions in Ecuador, wants to bring the Tvind management to the Court for Human Rights because of infringements on trade union leaders at one of Tvind banana plantations in Ecuador. Simultaneously, the whole banana sector in Ecuador will be accused for violation of the right to organize (or: to unite). The trade union members are in Denmark to provoke the attention on an amount of 600.000 dollars which Tvind allegedly owes to 100 plantation workers who were fired last year after a strike.
After having tried earlier this week to get the alleged Tvind-leader Amdi Petersen to talk in front of the court building in rhus, the Ecuadorians appeared Saturday afternoon in front of Tvind's headquarters in Grindsted, backed by 15 to 20 persons from the Danish trade union Sid.

(Source: Danish press)

more on Ecuador plantations

---

BELGIAN MONEY LAUNDERING CASE IS POSTPONED AGAIN

6th March 2003:  The separate Belgian court case against eight members of the Teachers Group on 5m euro money laundering is due to be postponed again, reports Dutch newspaper Trouw.

The case should have started in November last year.  It was put back to May 25th, but will be postponed again because the police investigation is not finished yet.

One of the TG members charged is Flemming Gustaffson, who is connected to ConMore BV in Holland, an important Tvind clothes trading company that buys clothes from the Humana organisations in Europe for export.

Mr Gustaffson previously ran EC Trading, another Tvind used clothes trading company, which went bankrupt in 2000 owing 1.4m.

More on the bankruptcy of EC Trading

---

NEW TVIND TIMBER TRADING  ENTERPRISE IN RUSSIA

Tvind TG member Kim Bonde Anderson is running a Tvind timber company in Russia, according to information sent to Tvind Alert.    more

 

 

---

ROSKILDE SCHOOL:  COURT COSTS 'CHECKMATE'

Denmark:  A number of Tvind-schools are not likely to be re-opened, after the Tvind-school in Roskilde had to give up in a court case against the Danish Ministry of Education.   Unexpectedly the court costs were raised from 500 to 470.000 Danish Kroner.   The school in Roskilde can not pay this fee.
Government recognition of the school was withdrawn in 1999, because the Ministry of Education regarded the school as too dependant on Tvind.   The school wanted to try to prove that is not the case anymore, but because of the high court costs it will not have the opportunity to do so.    The same goes for many other Tvind-schools.

---

Tvind Alert
PO Box 45002
London
N4 3XL
tel +44 (0) 7775 531612
fax +44 (0) 7031151871
http://www.tvindalert.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can now see a full description and sequence of pictures of the Butterfly McQueen by clicking this link:  Butterfly McQueen   For all the images, click 'slide show'.  Click 'details' and scroll down for the description.

The boat was moored for many years off Miami, near Amdi Petersen's luxury Fisher Island apartment.  In the last three years it has sailed to Fiji.    The sales details comments:  "A three (3) year cruise through the South Pacific finds her in Fiji where the owners have put her on the market following completion of their dream cruise."!!

Who was on this 'dream cruise', we wonder.   Tvind is believed to have property, farms or commercial interests in Fiji.   We have one listed company, Pacific Farming Ltd.  Two Fiji residents,  Peter Kjaer and Lilian Ekbom, are associated with Tvind as signatories of a Swiss trust, Gaia.  We would like more information

For a summary, click the link on the left, 'Luxury Yacht'

---

TRIAL BEGINS IN DENMARK'S FIRST COMPUTERISED COURTROOM

March 5th:  The trial for fraud of Amdi Petersen and seven Teachers Group members has begun in Denmark's first computerised courtroom.

Amdi Petersen arrived for the hearing.  The first day of the trial, when all 8 pleaded not guilty, was spent in  legal arguments and planning the next 80 days in court. It is now scheduled to last until October next year.

With thousands of pages of complex evidence, the trial will use computer screens instead of files in ring binders.  If all the paper files were laid end to end, it would stretch for 100 metres, according to newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

Forty witnesses, including 15 former members of Tvind's Teachers Group, are expected to give evidence against Amdi Petersen and seven other TG members in the trial involving fraud and embezzlement for 25 million euros ($25 million).

PETERSEN TRIAL NEWS:

Day 2:  6th March: In his opening statement, prosecutor Poul Gade said that not one of 40 members of the Teachers Group contacted by police would answer questions.  "I don't believe one would experience this in a Rotary club. This would only happen in a gang of Rockers"  more

Day 3:  12th March: Tvind leaders created a series of non-existent aid projects and intermediate funds, to move money from the so-called Humanitarian Fund into other Tvind accounts without paying tax, the court in Ringkbing heard.  One scheme, called 'Global Research', involved sending a ship to Central America, but none of the projects ever happened according to participant Hans la Cour. In a single year, Tvind 'paid itself' at least a tax-free 5.4 million krone (appx $800,000), the prosecution say.   more

---

BANANA WORKERS DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE COURT

March 5th:  Two banana-workers from a Tvind-plantation in Ecuador today demonstrated against the bad working conditions at the start of the trial against Tvind-leader Mogens Amdi Petersen.  The two workers are supported by a translator the Danish trade union SiD, which recently visited plantations in Belize and Ecuador.

The protest is about Tvind witholding money for the workers' illness insurance and withholding salary, child labour, workers getting fired when they become a member of a trade union and the use of insecticides during work. The workers hope to get the Tvind leaders to talk about these conditions as a result of this demonstration.

SiD, which originally backed Tvind, recently called on Danish municipalities to ban Tvind's UFF 'charity' clothing containers because of the bad working conditions on Tvind's plantations. Source: Berlingske Tidende.

 more on Ecuador plantations

---

TVIND 'IS LEAVING ECUADOR'

7th March 2003:  Tvind is leaving Ecuador.  Local workers union representative says that Tvind has sold the Rio Culebra to a local sugar farmer.  The Santa Rita plantation was sold October last year and the third Tvind farm, La Italia, is also up for sale.2003, Mar. 7.  Source:   SID/Fagbladet and Jes Fabricius Mller.

---

COPENHAGEN CITY COUNCIL BANS HUMANA/UFF CLOTHES BANKS

10th March.   Source: SID/Fagbladet and Jes Fabricius Mller

---

HUMANA HOLLAND RECEIVES 11,788 EUROS FROM 'COINS FOR CARE' CHARITY

13th March:   www.coinsforcare.nl

---

TVIND NOW FACES HUMAN RIGHTS TRIAL

8th March: Mogens Amdi Petersen and the other members of Tvinds management will now be accused at the Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg for violation of human rights. 
CEOST, the federation of free trade unions in Ecuador, wants to bring the Tvind management to the Court for Human Rights because of infringements on trade union leaders at one of Tvind banana plantations in Ecuador. Simultaneously, the whole banana sector in Ecuador will be accused for violation of the right to organize (or: to unite). The trade union members are in Denmark to provoke the attention on an amount of 600.000 dollars which Tvind allegedly owes to 100 plantation workers who were fired last year after a strike.
After having tried earlier this week to get the alleged Tvind-leader Amdi Petersen to talk in front of the court building in rhus, the Ecuadorians appeared Saturday afternoon in front of Tvind's headquarters in Grindsted, backed by 15 to 20 persons from the Danish trade union Sid.

(Source: Danish press)

more on Ecuador plantations

---

BELGIAN MONEY LAUNDERING CASE IS POSTPONED AGAIN

6th March 2003:  The separate Belgian court case against eight members of the Teachers Group on 5m euro money laundering is due to be postponed again, reports Dutch newspaper Trouw.

The case should have started in November last year.  It was put back to May 25th, but will be postponed again because the police investigation is not finished yet.

One of the TG members charged is Flemming Gustaffson, who is connected to ConMore BV in Holland, an important Tvind clothes trading company that buys clothes from the Humana organisations in Europe for export.

Mr Gustaffson previously ran EC Trading, another Tvind used clothes trading company, which went bankrupt in 2000 owing 1.4m.

More on the bankruptcy of EC Trading

---

NEW TVIND TIMBER TRADING  ENTERPRISE IN RUSSIA

Tvind TG member Kim Bonde Anderson is running a Tvind timber company in Russia, according to information sent to Tvind Alert.    more

 

 

---

ROSKILDE SCHOOL:  COURT COSTS 'CHECKMATE'

Denmark:  A number of Tvind-schools are not likely to be re-opened, after the Tvind-school in Roskilde had to give up in a court case against the Danish Ministry of Education.   Unexpectedly the court costs were raised from 500 to 470.000 Danish Kroner.   The school in Roskilde can not pay this fee.
Government recognition of the school was withdrawn in 1999, because the Ministry of Education regarded the school as too dependant on Tvind.   The school wanted to try to prove that is not the case anymore, but because of the high court costs it will not have the opportunity to do so.    The same goes for many other Tvind-schools.

---

Tvind Alert
PO Box 45002
London
N4 3XL
tel +44 (0) 7775 531612
fax +44 (0) 7031151871
http://www.tvindalert.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who was on this 'dream cruise', we wonder.   Tvind is believed to have property, farms or commercial interests in Fiji.   We have one listed company, Pacific Farming Ltd.  Two Fiji residents,  Peter Kjaer and Lilian Ekbom, are associated with Tvind as signatories of a Swiss trust, Gaia.  We would like more information

For a summary, click the link on the left, 'Luxury Yacht'

---

TRIAL BEGINS IN DENMARK'S FIRST COMPUTERISED COURTROOM

March 5th:  The trial for fraud of Amdi Petersen and seven Teachers Group members has begun in Denmark's first computerised courtroom.

Amdi Petersen arrived for the hearing.  The first day of the trial, when all 8 pleaded not guilty, was spent in  legal arguments and planning the next 80 days in court. It is now scheduled to last until October next year.

With thousands of pages of complex evidence, the trial will use computer screens instead of files in ring binders.  If all the paper files were laid end to end, it would stretch for 100 metres, according to newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

Forty witnesses, including 15 former members of Tvind's Teachers Group, are expected to give evidence against Amdi Petersen and seven other TG members in the trial involving fraud and embezzlement for 25 million euros ($25 million).

PETERSEN TRIAL NEWS:

Day 2:  6th March: In his opening statement, prosecutor Poul Gade said that not one of 40 members of the Teachers Group contacted by police would answer questions.  "I don't believe one would experience this in a Rotary club. This would only happen in a gang of Rockers"  more

Day 3:  12th March: Tvind leaders created a series of non-existent aid projects and intermediate funds, to move money from the so-called Humanitarian Fund into other Tvind accounts without paying tax, the court in Ringkbing heard.  One scheme, called 'Global Research', involved sending a ship to Central America, but none of the projects ever happened according to participant Hans la Cour. In a single year, Tvind 'paid itself' at least a tax-free 5.4 million krone (appx $800,000), the prosecution say.   more

---

BANANA WORKERS DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE COURT

March 5th:  Two banana-workers from a Tvind-plantation in Ecuador today demonstrated against the bad working conditions at the start of the trial against Tvind-leader Mogens Amdi Petersen.  The two workers are supported by a translator the Danish trade union SiD, which recently visited plantations in Belize and Ecuador.

The protest is about Tvind witholding money for the workers' illness insurance and withholding salary, child labour, workers getting fired when they become a member of a trade union and the use of insecticides during work. The workers hope to get the Tvind leaders to talk about these conditions as a result of this demonstration.

SiD, which originally backed Tvind, recently called on Danish municipalities to ban Tvind's UFF 'charity' clothing containers because of the bad working conditions on Tvind's plantations. Source: Berlingske Tidende.

 more on Ecuador plantations

---

TVIND 'IS LEAVING ECUADOR'

7th March 2003:  Tvind is leaving Ecuador.  Local workers union representative says that Tvind has sold the Rio Culebra to a local sugar farmer.  The Santa Rita plantation was sold October last year and the third Tvind farm, La Italia, is also up for sale.2003, Mar. 7.  Source:   SID/Fagbladet and Jes Fabricius Mller.

---

COPENHAGEN CITY COUNCIL BANS HUMANA/UFF CLOTHES BANKS

10th March.   Source: SID/Fagbladet and Jes Fabricius Mller

---

HUMANA HOLLAND RECEIVES 11,788 EUROS FROM 'COINS FOR CARE' CHARITY

13th March:   www.coinsforcare.nl

---

TVIND NOW FACES HUMAN RIGHTS TRIAL

8th March: Mogens Amdi Petersen and the other members of Tvinds management will now be accused at the Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg for violation of human rights. 
CEOST, the federation of free trade unions in Ecuador, wants to bring the Tvind management to the Court for Human Rights because of infringements on trade union leaders at one of Tvind banana plantations in Ecuador. Simultaneously, the whole banana sector in Ecuador will be accused for violation of the right to organize (or: to unite). The trade union members are in Denmark to provoke the attention on an amount of 600.000 dollars which Tvind allegedly owes to 100 plantation workers who were fired last year after a strike.
After having tried earlier this week to get the alleged Tvind-leader Amdi Petersen to talk in front of the court building in rhus, the Ecuadorians appeared Saturday afternoon in front of Tvind's headquarters in Grindsted, backed by 15 to 20 persons from the Danish trade union Sid.

(Source: Danish press)

more on Ecuador plantations

---

BELGIAN MONEY LAUNDERING CASE IS POSTPONED AGAIN

6th March 2003:  The separate Belgian court case against eight members of the Teachers Group on 5m euro money laundering is due to be postponed again, reports Dutch newspaper Trouw.

The case should have started in November last year.  It was put back to May 25th, but will be postponed again because the police investigation is not finished yet.

One of the TG members charged is Flemming Gustaffson, who is connected to ConMore BV in Holland, an important Tvind clothes trading company that buys clothes from the Humana organisations in Europe for export.

Mr Gustaffson previously ran EC Trading, another Tvind used clothes trading company, which went bankrupt in 2000 owing 1.4m.

More on the bankruptcy of EC Trading

---

NEW TVIND TIMBER TRADING  ENTERPRISE IN RUSSIA

Tvind TG member Kim Bonde Anderson is running a Tvind timber company in Russia, according to information sent to Tvind Alert.    more

 

 

---

ROSKILDE SCHOOL:  COURT COSTS 'CHECKMATE'

Denmark:  A number of Tvind-schools are not likely to be re-opened, after the Tvind-school in Roskilde had to give up in a court case against the Danish Ministry of Education.   Unexpectedly the court costs were raised from 500 to 470.000 Danish Kroner.   The school in Roskilde can not pay this fee.
Government recognition of the school was withdrawn in 1999, because the Ministry of Education regarded the school as too dependant on Tvind.   The school wanted to try to prove that is not the case anymore, but because of the high court costs it will not have the opportunity to do so.    The same goes for many other Tvind-schools.

---

Tvind Alert
PO Box 45002
London
N4 3XL
tel +44 (0) 7775 531612
fax +44 (0) 7031151871
http://www.tvindalert.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a summary, click the link on the left, 'Luxury Yacht'

TRIAL BEGINS IN DENMARK'S FIRST COMPUTERISED COURTROOM

March 5th:  The trial for fraud of Amdi Petersen and seven Teachers Group members has begun in Denmark's first computerised courtroom.

Amdi Petersen arrived for the hearing.  The first day of the trial, when all 8 pleaded not guilty, was spent in  legal arguments and planning the next 80 days in court. It is now scheduled to last until October next year.

With thousands of pages of complex evidence, the trial will use computer screens instead of files in ring binders.  If all the paper files were laid end to end, it would stretch for 100 metres, according to newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

Forty witnesses, including 15 former members of Tvind's Teachers Group, are expected to give evidence against Amdi Petersen and seven other TG members in the trial involving fraud and embezzlement for 25 million euros ($25 million).

PETERSEN TRIAL NEWS:

Day 2:  6th March: In his opening statement, prosecutor Poul Gade said that not one of 40 members of the Teachers Group contacted by police would answer questions.  "I don't believe one would experience this in a Rotary club. This would only happen in a gang of Rockers"  more

Day 3:  12th March: Tvind leaders created a series of non-existent aid projects and intermediate funds, to move money from the so-called Humanitarian Fund into other Tvind accounts without paying tax, the court in Ringkbing heard.  One scheme, called 'Global Research', involved sending a ship to Central America, but none of the projects ever happened according to participant Hans la Cour. In a single year, Tvind 'paid itself' at least a tax-free 5.4 million krone (appx $800,000), the prosecution say.   more

BANANA WORKERS DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE COURT

March 5th:  Two banana-workers from a Tvind-plantation in Ecuador today demonstrated against the bad working conditions at the start of the trial against Tvind-leader Mogens Amdi Petersen.  The two workers are supported by a translator the Danish trade union SiD, which recently visited plantations in Belize and Ecuador.

The protest is about Tvind witholding money for the workers' illness insurance and withholding salary, child labour, workers getting fired when they become a member of a trade union and the use of insecticides during work. The workers hope to get the Tvind leaders to talk about these conditions as a result of this demonstration.

SiD, which originally backed Tvind, recently called on Danish municipalities to ban Tvind's UFF 'charity' clothing containers because of the bad working conditions on Tvind's plantations. Source: Berlingske Tidende.

 more on Ecuador plantations

TVIND 'IS LEAVING ECUADOR'

7th March 2003:  Tvind is leaving Ecuador.  Local workers union representative says that Tvind has sold the Rio Culebra to a local sugar farmer.  The Santa Rita plantation was sold October last year and the third Tvind farm, La Italia, is also up for sale.2003, Mar. 7.  Source:   SID/Fagbladet and Jes Fabricius Mller.

COPENHAGEN CITY COUNCIL BANS HUMANA/UFF CLOTHES BANKS

10th March.   Source: SID/Fagbladet and Jes Fabricius Mller

HUMANA HOLLAND RECEIVES 11,788 EUROS FROM 'COINS FOR CARE' CHARITY

13th March:   www.coinsforcare.nl

TVIND NOW FACES HUMAN RIGHTS TRIAL

8th March: Mogens Amdi Petersen and the other members of Tvinds management will now be accused at the Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg for violation of human rights. 
CEOST, the federation of free trade unions in Ecuador, wants to bring the Tvind management to the Court for Human Rights because of infringements on trade union leaders at one of Tvind banana plantations in Ecuador. Simultaneously, the whole banana sector in Ecuador will be accused for violation of the right to organize (or: to unite). The trade union members are in Denmark to provoke the attention on an amount of 600.000 dollars which Tvind allegedly owes to 100 plantation workers who were fired last year after a strike.
After having tried earlier this week to get the alleged Tvind-leader Amdi Petersen to talk in front of the court building in rhus, the Ecuadorians appeared Saturday afternoon in front of Tvind's headquarters in Grindsted, backed by 15 to 20 persons from the Danish trade union Sid.

(Source: Danish press)

more on Ecuador plantations

BELGIAN MONEY LAUNDERING CASE IS POSTPONED AGAIN

6th March 2003:  The separate Belgian court case against eight members of the Teachers Group on 5m euro money laundering is due to be postponed again, reports Dutch newspaper Trouw.

The case should have started in November last year.  It was put back to May 25th, but will be postponed again because the police investigation is not finished yet.

One of the TG members charged is Flemming Gustaffson, who is connected to ConMore BV in Holland, an important Tvind clothes trading company that buys clothes from the Humana organisations in Europe for export.

Mr Gustaffson previously ran EC Trading, another Tvind used clothes trading company, which went bankrupt in 2000 owing 1.4m.

More on the bankruptcy of EC Trading

NEW TVIND TIMBER TRADING  ENTERPRISE IN RUSSIA

Tvind TG member Kim Bonde Anderson is running a Tvind timber company in Russia, according to information sent to Tvind Alert.    more

 

 

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ROSKILDE SCHOOL:  COURT COSTS 'CHECKMATE'

Denmark:  A number of Tvind-schools are not likely to be re-opened, after the Tvind-school in Roskilde had to give up in a court case against the Danish Ministry of Education.   Unexpectedly the court costs were raised from 500 to 470.000 Danish Kroner.   The school in Roskilde can not pay this fee.
Government recognition of the school was withdrawn in 1999, because the Ministry of Education regarded the school as too dependant on Tvind.   The school wanted to try to prove that is not the case anymore, but because of the high court costs it will not have the opportunity to do so.    The same goes for many other Tvind-schools.

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Tvind Alert
PO Box 45002
London
N4 3XL
tel +44 (0) 7775 531612
fax +44 (0) 7031151871
http://www.tvindalert.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ROSKILDE SCHOOL:  COURT COSTS 'CHECKMATE'

Denmark:  A number of Tvind-schools are not likely to be re-opened, after the Tvind-school in Roskilde had to give up in a court case against the Danish Ministry of Education.   Unexpectedly the court costs were raised from 500 to 470.000 Danish Kroner.   The school in Roskilde can not pay this fee.
Government recognition of the school was withdrawn in 1999, because the Ministry of Education regarded the school as too dependant on Tvind.   The school wanted to try to prove that is not the case anymore, but because of the high court costs it will not have the opportunity to do so.    The same goes for many other Tvind-schools.

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Tvind Alert
PO Box 45002
London
N4 3XL
tel +44 (0) 7775 531612
fax +44 (0) 7031151871
http://www.tvindalert.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROSKILDE SCHOOL:  COURT COSTS 'CHECKMATE'

Denmark:  A number of Tvind-schools are not likely to be re-opened, after the Tvind-school in Roskilde had to give up in a court case against the Danish Ministry of Education.   Unexpectedly the court costs were raised from 500 to 470.000 Danish Kroner.   The school in Roskilde can not pay this fee.
Government recognition of the school was withdrawn in 1999, because the Ministry of Education regarded the school as too dependant on Tvind.   The school wanted to try to prove that is not the case anymore, but because of the high court costs it will not have the opportunity to do so.    The same goes for many other Tvind-schools.

Tvind Alert
PO Box 45002
London
N4 3XL
tel +44 (0) 7775 531612
fax +44 (0) 7031151871
http://www.tvindalert.com