Here’s one of those delightful little kreppa stories we just can’t get enough of.
Icelandic investor Jón Þorsteinn Jónsson, who holds the legal status of a defendant in the investigation into the bank collapse, was stopped at Keflavík airport on 22 December with a bag full of money. He was en route to the UK where he lives with his family and had been released from a travel ban just a short while before he was stopped at the airport.
Jón Þorsteinn was apprehended for carrying ISK 2.5 million in foreign currency in his hand luggage. Currency restrictions prohibit individuals from taking more than ISK 500,000 out of the country in any calendar month.
Security officers found the dosh in Jón Þorstein’s bag and called customs officials, who in turn called police.
However, apparently Jón Þorsteinn’s family was travelling with him, and he got around the legal ramifications by dividing the money so that each carried the legal amount.
Jón Þorsteinn is a former chairman of the bank of Byr savings bank. Like many of the other Icelandic 2007-moguls he has moved his legal residence to London.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
geeez… wow. I have no words.
Can’t believe how petty I’ve turned but I really hope somebody mugged him!
I suppose some of his family members were children. What a role model!
Also wondering why haven’t they frozen his assets if he’s being investigated? Would think it was an offense trying to smuggle cash out of country in that case.
… and this is why a temporary freeze on assets for named defendants / those being investigated is needed.
Arhg…this is amazing! I was thinking the same as Petri – if the guy is under a criminal investigation, why his assets are not frozen? I just cant get this..
I wish I had the answer to that!
If I could pray for you I would!
Was that like 2.5 mill as in Euros, the level of poverty some poor souls have to endure is staggering. !!!! Probably some last minute christmas shopping ha ha.
Didn’t he move his legal residency to Russia?
I am in London right at this moment- give me his address and I will buy a big can of red paint and leave this hotel immediately!
sylvia from viking wirral
I assume he is unemployed homeless person without any kind of assests except tooth brush (used one) and a pair of socks…
What really surprises me is the fact that you surprised. What else did you expect from these “moguls”?
And another thing that surprised me – willingness to pay for their crime.
Helga – I think you’re thinking of Magnús Þorsteinsson of Landsbanki [Samson] fame. He buggered off to Russia.
silvia – pretty sure his address is unlisted.
You should be upset that you have a government that tells people how much currency they can hold. If he has committed a crime, he should be investigated and charged. If not, why should a government or anyone else comment on how much currency he has, if that currency isn’t the result of crime?
Michael – because there are severe currency restrictions in Iceland in the wake of the economic meltdown, designed to protect the krona. If they weren’t in place, our currency would weaken even further, to the point of becoming worthless, and then we’d be in even deeper sh*t. This is the reality we live with right now. It’s not fun, but I think most of us realize it’s a necessity for the time being.
Ahh, I checked the Ruzzia move out and found a news article in the google cache about him moving to Russia; the news entry was later corrected to him moving his residence to London.
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:XOLBFjWWtRoJ:www.visir.is/article/20091222/VIDSKIPTI06/952281928+j%C3%B3n+j%C3%B3nsson+l%C3%B6gheimili+r%C3%BAssland&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=firefox-a
I wonder what his words were when caught:
” How did that 2.5 million get there?”
This has all the makings of a TV show….. except that it is real life.
Sad
>if that currency isn’t the result of crime?
And that’s another sore point
.
geeez… wow. I have no words.
I do, but they violate the posting guidelines of this blog.