Inventor Accused of Orchestrating Yacht Sinking for Insurance Payout

A Danish inventor and his wife face trial for allegedly orchestrating the sinking of their motor yacht to defraud an insurance company of 14 million Danish kroner.

The couple, who deny all charges, are accused of deliberately damaging a valve and leaving the vessel to take on water off the coast of Trelleborg, Sweden, on July 27, 2023. Prosecutors claim they then abandoned the yacht without securing watertight doors and rear portholes, ensuring its submersion.

The inventor is also facing a separate charge of insurance fraud related to damages the yacht sustained in the spring of 2018. He claims these damages occurred during a theft, a narrative the prosecution disputes.

The trial, initially scheduled for autumn last year and later postponed to January, is now set to commence at the Court of Nykøbing Falster. The court has allocated five days for the proceedings, with a verdict expected on June 19. This marks the third attempt to bring the case to trial.