Prosecutors in Jutland have withdrawn charges against a controversial restaurateur alleged to have torched his own establishment. Police in Vejle charged Amin Skov with arson in January this year after claiming that he set fire to the Restaurant Vejlegarden just before last Christmas.
Announcing the decision, prosecutor Birte Wirnfeldt stated that charges were being withdrawn in the case and that Amin Skov was no longer a suspect in the arson. She added that unless new evidence came to light, police would not be asking the restaurateur any more questions.
When asked whether Mr Skov should have been charged in the first place, Ms Wirnfeldt replied that all the evidence seemed to point to the fact he had started the fire. She finished by saying prosecutors had an obligation to the Danish public to charge those considered guilty of committing crimes.
On the night of the fire, 20 December, Mr Skov was hospitalised with a number of injuries and suffering from breathing difficulties. He later told police that he was attacked by two other people.
Crime scene investigators said they were unable to find traces of other people at the restaurant. Despite a thorough search of the surrounding area, working through CCTV footage and canvassing witnesses the investigators found no evidence that would reveal who burnt the restaurant down.
Mr Skov and the Restaurant Vejlegarden hit the national headlines last summer after he reached an agreement with an independent trade union that saw staff get lower wages. The trade union 3F took exception to Mr Skov’s deal and mounted a blockade on the restaurant that lasted for several months.