According to the district court, the investigation does not provide a clear picture of what led to the accident, the court said in a press release.
The accident occurred at a construction site in Sundbyberg, northwest of Stockholm, on December 11, 2023. Five male construction workers were in the elevator when the mast collapsed and the car fell from a height of nine floors. All five died. Two more men were about to enter the elevator but escaped the collapse.
An investigation showed that several load-bearing screw connections that were supposed to hold the sections of the elevator mast together were missing. Two fitters and the CEO of the company that installed the elevator were charged with serious work environment violations.
"The company undertook to install the elevator, and they must ensure that it is screwed together properly. It's that simple, and they haven't done that," said prosecutor Lars Ågren when the trial began in early May.
According to the lawsuit, the fitters had failed to install the screw connections when the elevator was raised. They had not conducted any self-inspection. The CEO had not organized the work within the company to ensure that procedures were actually followed.
The prosecutor demanded in the lawsuit that the fitters and the CEO be convicted of serious work environment violations and that the company pay a corporate fine of seven million kronor. The defendants have denied any wrongdoing.
