A prosecutor on Wednesday sought a minimum of five years prison for a former Swedish Red Cross executive accused of stealing more than half a million euros from the organisation.

• Swedish Red Cross official charged with fraud

"All together, I think (the accused) should be sentenced to no less than five years," prosecutor Alf Johansson said in his closing plea.

The accused's lawyer told Swedish public radio the requested sentence, along with a seven year ban on conducting business, did not take into account "extenuating circumstances."

"He has confessed, he has taken responsibility for what he did and he wants to make up for it," lawyer Leif Silbersky said.

Johan af Donner, the former director of communications of the Swedish Red Cross, was charged in January with aggravated fraud and aggravated bribery.

The Red Cross said in a statement before the trial it was seeking 5.2 million kronor (539,900 euros, 714,400 dollars) in damages, "which corresponds to the amount believed to have been embezzled through fake invoices."

The Swedish Cancer Society, where af Donner had previously worked, also said it wanted back 2.5 million kronor he allegedly stole from the organisation.

Af Donner, who worked for the Red Cross until the middle of last year, is accused of making up fake invoices with the help of his unidentified accomplices, who worked for suppliers.

The prosecutor requested sentences of one-and-a-half and two-and-a-half years for the accomplices, who were charged with aggravated bribery, aggravated accounting fraud and aggravated fiscal fraud.

Sentencing was scheduled to take place on May 26.