– It is particularly disturbing that someone appropriates aid funds and, not least, spends them on private luxury as in this case, says State Attorney Henrik Horn in Økokrim in a press release.
The two men have been found guilty of defrauding NOK 47 million in aid funds. The verdict was handed down before the weekend and is probably the biggest case ever against a recipient of aid money in Norway, according to the judge Filter News.
– Økokrim agrees with the Oslo district court’s assessments in this case. Our trust-based grant system is vulnerable. This type of crime undermines aid work in Norway and weakens our trust-based system.
Will be appealed
The Oslo district court found that large parts of the grant funds were used to cover private expenses, such as expensive holiday trips, the purchase of cars, weapons and large quantities of knives, unlawful diet and food allowances and renting an apartment for private use.
The two convicts had used aid funds to buy a leisure cabin in the interior. NOK 3.5 million was therefore seized from the association they ran, which was the owner of the cabin.
– In the court’s view, the defendant’s actions were suitable for undermining trust in Norwegian aid policy, and are therefore considered to be of a socially harmful nature, the judgment states.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty. The main man’s defender, lawyer Fredrik Berg at Fend law firm, informs Filter Nyheter that the verdict will be appealed.
Run association
The two convicts ran an association which received grants to cover costs for, among other things, preparing various reports. In total, the association received grants of more than NOK 55 million in the period 2016 to 2021.
* The ringleader has been sentenced to five years’ unconditional imprisonment for serious fraud, attempted serious fraud and money laundering. He was acquitted of the charge of document forgery.
* The other person was sentenced to one year and ten months’ unconditional imprisonment for complicity in serious fraud.
* The two have also been jointly ordered to pay compensation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of approximately NOK 9 million and approximately NOK 4 million to the Ministry of Climate and the Environment.
#men #convicted #fraud #Ministry #Foreign #Affairs #Ministry #Climate #Environment
