The investigation in the USA exposes Amdi

Berlingske Tidende/August 15, 2003
By Michael Bjerre

Documents from Mogens Amdi Petersen's luxury apartment in the USA reveal that he by no means was only the "consultant" he claimed to be at court. The price for his luxury life was up to 180,000 Danish crowns per month.

During the case against the Tvind leaders, the prosecutor has received material hitherto unknown which considerably supports the case and undermines the credibility of Mogens Amdi Petersen.

Documents from an investigation of Mogens Amdi Petersen's penthouse apartment reveal its size at 810 square meters on Fisher Island in the USA.

Also revealed is that in 1991 Amdi was the "administrating director" of the Tvind association Markham Corporation, which in 1991 bought the luxury apartment.

Confiscated business cards also reveal Amdi to be the top chief of the association which bought the apartment with millions from Tvind's tax free fund which was, according to the indictment, deceived.

During a three days examination, Mogens Amdi Petersen again and again denied that he occupied a leading position in the Tvind organization and claimed to be only a "consultant."

But the documents from the USA tell quite another story and they are regarded in several ways to be a breakthrough for the prosecutor.

Wild luxury life

During the case the prosecutors had problems delivering the final proof that Amdi for years directed Tvind from his hidden retreats. The 95 files which were used in the case previously, did not, for example, contain a single document with the signature of Mogens Amdi Petersen.

But in this respect the documents from the USA for the first time show the leader's signature on essential documents, Berlingske Tidende revealed.

At the same time, the confiscated American documents show that the many newspaper stories about the wild luxury life of Mogens Amdi Petersen were not exaggerated.

Amdi Petersen kept for years an official address in the village Ulfborg-Vemb, where he declared his income was a modest 70,000 Danish crowns per year.

But documents from the USA reveal that his cost of living totaled up to 180,000 Danish crowns per month.

The Tvind leader had among other things signed a membership at the Fisher Island Golf Club for $100,000 dollars as well the lease of two garages, which cost $10,000 dollars each per year.

The previously proclaimed revolutionary protagonist for the poor of the world has used more than 20 million Danish crowns in ten years. He managed to enjoy life on the Florida island with his accused mate Kirsten Larsen.

Tvind recently sold the couple's longtime hiding-place for more than 40 million Danish crowns.

The court case against the Tvind chief has now run for half a year and a judgment is not expected before 2005.

The prosecutor in this case Vice State Attorney Poul Gade, did not comment regarding the information exposed by Berligske Tidende.