Dane Living In Thailand Accused Of 40 Million Baht Forgery

sriracha john · July 25, 2008

Got Away With 5.6 Million Kroner *39,364,424 Thai Baht*

Keld Wulff, a 42-year old Dane charged with cashing in a forged check of 5.6 million kroner, got away to Thailand with the money before his bank raised the alarm. But the Dane insists he is innocent. The money is a legitimate pay back of a sum that a former friend had borrowed from him.

When a 42 year old Dane fresh out of a prison got away with cashing in a check of 5.6 million kroner and quickly moved the cash – and himself – to Thailand, it reminded many Danes of the legendary comedy series Olsen Banden. The leading character in this comedy was a small time criminal, who always had a new plan when he was released from prison, only to end up behind bars again.

In this case, however, the main character, Keld Wulff, refuses to play along. Talking in an exclusive interview with the Danish weekly Ude & Hjemme, Keld Wulff tells his version of the story which is quite different on a number of points.

First of all, he did not forge the check, he says. If the check is indeed not genuine, he cannot tell who forged it.

Secondly, the man whose account the money was drawn from actually owed him the money. To be a thief, don’t you have to steal something that doesn’t belong to you?

It is an added flavor to the story that the Dane admits that, among other businesses in Denmark, he rents out rooms to Thai women offering massage services in his home town Vejle.

A local court in Vejle has issued a warrant for the arrest of Keld Wulff and also canceled his passport. The cancellation of his passport is to pave the way for the Danish police to inform the Thai immigration police that this individual no longer has valid traveling documents, and this will then eventually lead to his apprehension by Thai police and deportation after a few days in the notorious immigration prison in Bangkok.

Keld Wulff is quite upset by this procedure and has asked his lawyer to fight for the reinstatement of his passport.

“I am not a criminal who has escaped with the stash from a bank robbery,” he strongly objects.

“It is completely unreasonable for the Danish police to set up a manhunt for me, which could end me up in a Thai immigration prison, when I have evidence to prove that the money definitely belongs to me and was expected by myself, my lawyer and my bank to be paid at the time I received it.”

According to Keld Wulff, moving the money to Thailand was actually the idea of his bank and took place in full cooperation with the receiving Thai bank as well. His own plan was to convert the cash to Euro bank notes and keep it in a safe in Denmark, but his bank manager had advised against that, as there was a pending case against him for value added tax fraud and this could lead to the confiscation by the police of his money until the case was settled.

Not surprisingly, the bank denies having advised Keld Wulff in the way he claims.

Now the cash is in Thailand, there is no way that Keld Wulff will move it back to Denmark.

“It is my money. I let a guy borrow it and he has now paid it back. End of story. If eventually after the completely unrelated case against me for value added tax fraud I will be asked to pay an amount back, I will be happy to do so. But until that day, the money stays here,” he states firmly.

Keld Wulf doesn’t deny the pleasure it was to withdraw the many million Thai Baht and secure it further in Thailand.

“I walked down the street and it really did feel great to be able to just buy things, without worrying too much about the price,” he laughs.

- ScandAsia / 25-07-08

1 Dane Krone = 7.0276 Thai Baht

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“It is my money. I let a guy borrow it and he has now paid it back. End of story. If eventually after the completely unrelated case against me for value added tax fraud I will be asked to pay an amount back, I will be happy to do so. But until that day, the money stays here,” Keld Wulff states firmly.

Keld Wulff has felt like a hunted man in Thailand since the cancellation of his Danish passport. A foreigner without a valid passport can be arrested by Thai immigration police and placed in prison until his deportation can be arranged.

Keld Wulff’s main evidence is the original of the letter he received from Danske Bank where the check was attached at the bottom as indicated with the fingers.

- ScandAsia