Former Saab CEO Jonsson, two other execs arrested on tax charges

STOCKHOLM (Bloomberg) -- Three former Saab executives, including former CEO Jan-Aake Jonsson and Chief Financial Officer Karl-Gustav Lindstroem, were arrested by Swedish prosecutors in an accounting-fraud probe.

Three people were questioned on Monday on suspicion of "grave attempts to complicate tax controls" during 2010 and 2011, Olof Sahlgren, the Swedish Economic Crime Authority's chief prosecutor, said today, declining to give the names of the arrested.

Court documents filed in Vaenersborg indicate Jonsson, Lindstroem and Saab's former general counsel Kristina Geers were the people detained. The suspects were released today after questioning and are still under suspicion, Sweden's TT newswire reported.

Bengt-Erik Sik, Geers's lawyer, denied the accusations and said: "We are all very shocked how this is being handled." Helena Wising, Jonsson's lawyer, said she was on her way to meet her client when and declined to comment further. Lindstroem's lawyer, Bo Ahlenius, was not immediately available to comment.

"We will evaluate the questioning from yesterday and after that the people will be subject to further questioning and this afternoon I will decide whether to keep them in custody or release them," Sahlgren said. "It's about accounting measures to complicate the control operation of the tax authority regarding the calculation of taxes and fees."

The probe focuses on incidents before Saab filed for bankruptcy in December 2011, almost two years after Dutch super car maker Spyker bought the Swedish automaker from General Motors Co.

Saab was forced to halt production due to a lack of cash before the insolvency.

Accounting fraud carries a minimum prison sentence of six months and a maximum sentence of four years, Sahlgren said.

National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB bought Saab out of bankruptcy in August.