A report from Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reveals some new details surrounding the tragic death of PokerListings.com founder Andreas Oscarsson. The story, published last week, suggests that Oscarsson’s August murder could be connected to a business deal involving the popular poker website that was adversely affected by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
Oscarsson was shot six times while he was sleeping in his home in Trollhättan, Sweden on August 3rd and the initial investigation by police led them to believe that the murder could be a contract killing. Police believed a silencer was used on the gun that shot Oscarsson and the report in Aftonbladet suggests that Oscarsson’s father and his two-year old son might have been drugged or gassed by the culprits to ensure that they did not wake up when the shots were fired.
Since the August killing, new details are emerging in the case, including how a man suspected of killing Oscarsson may be tied to his victim. The police suspect a 44-year old unidentified man is the culprit in the case. Oscarsson was scheduled to testify against him in court on racketeering charges, but was killed before he could take the stand. The Aftonbladet report says the suspect worked with Swedish businessman Stefan Bengtsson, who previously invested in PokerListings. Bengtsson is one of the major shareholders in H & M Hennes & Mauritz, or more commonly known as H & M, the popular Swedish clothing company.
The story reported that one of Bengtsson’s companies invested in the site in 2003 and later wanted to sell its stake in the company for 50 million Swedish Kronor (roughly $7.1 million). Before the sale could be completed, the UIGEA was passed and the overall value of PokerListings.com dropped substantially. Bengtsson’s stake in the site was worth only 36 million Kronor after the Act passed and the murder suspect was allegedly harassing Oscarsson about paying up the difference, which amounts to $2 million. Supposedly, the suspect even arrived at Oscarsson’s door demanding money and also set up a meeting with PokerListings.com representatives and Thomas Moller, the former president of the Swedish Hells Angels motorcycle gang. The suspect claimed to be working on Bengtsson’s behalf
Though the suspect is believed to be an employee of Bengtsson, the business mogul is currently not a suspect in the case, but he has spoken with police regarding the incident. A recent letter drafted by Bengtsson also renounced any claims he or his company had with PokerListings. Moller has not been indicted for any crimes related to the murder either. The 44 year-old man has not been arrested in relation to Oscarsson’s murder, but will stand trial in the extortion charges this week.
Shortly before Oscarsson was murdered, a younger man by the name of Andreas Oscarsson was murdered in the same town. The police believe it to be a case of mistaken identity and the killing supports their theory that the murder of the elder Oscarsson was a contract hit. One of Oscarsson’s business associates was also shot and wounded around the same time when he stepped out of his front door to retrieve the paper.
The tabloid Aftonbladet is not the only publication reporting these new details surrounding Oscarsson’s murder. The website for Sweden’s public broadcasting system, Sveringes Radio, also reported on the story, suggesting that blackmail and Oscarsson’s pending testimony appeared to be the primary motivations behind the killing.
