Ghost Lawsuit: Judge Cleared After Claims Freemason Ties to Tobias Forge Tainted Trial | Revolver

Ghost Lawsuit: Judge Cleared After Claims Freemason Ties to Tobias Forge Tainted Trial

Ex-Ghost members alleged shared membership in fraternal organization caused judge to have "conflict of interest"
ghost-press.jpg, Mikael Eriksson
photograph by Mikael Eriksson

The ongoing saga of the Tobias Forge versus the former nameless ghouls lawsuit has turned a new corner. Since losing their claims to more money earned during their tenure in the band and being ordered to pay Forge's legal fees (approximately $145,000 USD), the ghouls – Simon Söderberg, Mauro Rubino, Henrik Palm, and Martin Hjertstedt – also lost the right to retrial on the conflict of interest basis in the Linköping District Court in Linköping, Sweden.

Following the ruling in October 2018, the plaintiffs claimed Forge and the judge presiding over the case, Henrik Ibold, shared membership in the Swedish Order of Freemasons, therefore affecting Ibold's ability to fairly see the case. The two denied having ever having contact with one another prior to the case, and  the court upheld this statement and determined the men broke no local laws over the course of the trial. 

The Court of Appeal did show some concern though, and iterated the judge should have made it known the two were members of the organization immediately when he discovered the news. Despite this, they maintained the legality of the ruling, writing "his omission in the aforementioned respect is not in itself sufficient to establish a disqualification." 

Furthering muddying the legal waters, the Court of Appeals rejection of the claim means they can now examine whether the case itself should be brought to the Court of Appeal for retrial.