Courts / Dublin / Report
'Mystery man' who defrauded biotech company of €840k gets 3.5 years
Summary
A 56‑year‑old man, Adrianus Johannes Kees, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment after defrauding the Irish biotechnology company Ovagen of €840,000. Ovagen, seeking €28 million to patent a germ‑free egg for vaccines, was persuaded by Kees to deposit the money into an alleged escrow account in Lichtenstein. No such account existed; the funds were transferred to Kees' personal accounts and spent on a pool house, a Mercedes‑Benz lease and other expenses. Ovagen had to repay the loan taken from AIB and lost the money. Kees pleaded guilty on the fifth day of his trial, apologized to the victims, and was granted a reduced sentence after a European Arrest Warrant had led to his extradition from Spain. The court noted his lack of prior convictions and cooperation with authorities. The sentence was back‑dated to account for time already spent in custody. The unnamed 56-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Mystery man' who defrauded biotech company of €840k gets 3.5 years. Charges or matters: fraud and theft on dates between March 12, 2011 and January 10, 2012. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- March 12, 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 10, 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 2022 Incident
- September 23, 2022 Incident
- Christmas Other
- 2024-12-02 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: fraud and theft on dates between March 12, 2011 and January 10, 2012 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: A 56-year-old "mystery man" who defrauded €840k from an Irish biotechnology company in the midst of an "important scientific development", making payments for a pool house and Mercedes Benz leasing, has been jailed for three and a half years.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- High Court
- Cloverhill Prison
Topics
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