– If something illegal has taken place in this case, we will actually consider reporting the matter to the police, says Jon Karlsen, group leader of the Progressive Party (Frp) in Troms and Finnmark. Recently, iFinnmark wrote that Kristina Hansen (Ap), without having the authority to do so, in the summer of 2020 decided to purchase the combi boat MS “Hollendaren” for 86 million. The final price tag was slightly lower; NOK 83.5 million. news has also reviewed the same documents. At the time, Kristina Hansen was county council leader for Troms and Finnmark county municipality. – I have no comment on anything to do with a possible review. The opposition has every right to choose how they want to follow up the case, says Hansen, who is now state secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. She adds: – But I apologize that there have been formal errors on “my watch” in connection with the purchase of the MS “Hollendaren”. The boat we are talking about now carries both passengers and cars on the weather-resistant coast of Finnmark. It can also take a 50-tonne trailer with it. The controversial combi boat MS “Hollendaren” docks in Hammerfest. Demanding an answer The FRP has now submitted an interpellation to the county council, where they demand an answer. What answers they get will determine what happens next. The case will come up in the county council next week. – If we are not satisfied with the information we receive, we have several options, says Jon Karlsen. The FRP can demand that the control committee investigate the matter. There may also be a vote of no confidence in the county council. – And we can consider reporting all or part of the county council to the police, says Karlsen. Kristina Hansen admits to news that things went a little fast in the turns when the purchase of MS “Hollendaren” was decided. – Just before the meeting on 3 July 2020, we discovered that a mistake had been made in the decision from 2018. That’s when it was decided to buy a spare boat. I should have double-checked all previous decisions, but I assumed everything was fine. – We therefore used the urgency clause to complete the purchase. In order to acquire the “Hollendaren” for Finnmark, I considered it absolutely necessary. There was a bit of chatter and chatter, and I recognize that we had no authority for this, she says. State Secretary Kristina Hansen does not wish to comment on a possible police report. But she admits that she has made a mistake in connection with the purchase of MS “Hollendaren”. Photo: CHRISTIAN KRÅKENES / news Could have been NOK 7.7 million – turned out to be 86 In the summer of 2018, the Finnmark County Council decided that the county council should acquire a reserve vessel. The price was to be a maximum of NOK 7.7 million. Autumn came and in October of the same year the matter had ended up in the committee responsible for transport. The problem was that it was no longer possible to obtain such an affordable vessel as the county council required. New price for new vessel: NOK 60 million. The then head of the committee, Geir Ove Bakken (Ap), confirms to news that only the county council can approve such a sharp price increase. But he remembers nothing of what happened next. Then two years follow without a single political decision on the combi boat. On 7 February 2020, Troms and Finnmark county council nevertheless publishes a press release with the title: New fast ferry on route. And five months later, on 3 July 2020, Kristina Hansen signs the controversial decision on the purchase of a combi boat for NOK 86 million. MS “Hollendaren” can also take a trailer of up to 50 tonnes with it. Photo: Ole Matias Aa – Strange case Jo Inge Hesjevik in Finnmark Høyre has been following this case. Or at least tried to. It has not been easy, he says. – This is the strangest case I have come across as a county council representative. It has been very difficult to find out what actually happened. – Now it is beginning to dawn that it is actually the county council in Troms and Finnmark that has bought the boat. But how they have managed this, without including it in any budget and without a decision being made in the county council, is strange, he says. Jo Inge Hesjevik in Finnmark Høyre, fears that the consequences for the purchase of the fast boat could cost Finnmark dearly. Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes / news Hesjevik fears that most laws and regulations have been broken in this case. – They cannot possibly have followed the law when the vessel was decided to be purchased. I am also curious as to whether the contract, which has been entered into for the operation of the vessel, has been made in accordance with current laws, says Hesjevik. The costs that come with the boat could become expensive when Troms and Finnmark separate teams, he fears. – If Finnmark is to sit alone with the bill for something Troms and Finnmark have done, I feel it will be wrong. The consequences may be cuts in transport routes and school facilities. It is now up to the joint committees to find out who will foot the bill, says Hesjevik. MS “Hollendaren” can also take a trailer of up to 50 tonnes with it. Photo: Ole Matias Aa Little transparency Social researcher Jonas Stein at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway is not surprised that questions are now being asked about what has happened in this case. – It appears to me that there has been very little transparency around the process. – However, I am a little surprised that there has been so little transparency, and that the debate is only now coming. This leaves an impression that the politicians and the county council have not followed the rules as they should, says Stein. – There has been little transparency around the purchase of MS Hollendaren. It is now up to the new county council to ensure that it happens, says social scientist Jonas Stein. Photo: Anne Sofie Rønnfeldt / news Brave decision In June this year, MS “Hollendaren” was christened. Current county mayor for Troms and Finnmark county municipality, Tarjei Jensen Bech, then said that the county council made a brave decision in its time. In an SMS to news, Bech states that he then referred to the decision from the summer of 2018. How it can be connected that this decision only has a frame of a fraction of what the fast boat costs, he will not answer.
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The current state secretary ordered a speedboat to Finnmark, but lacked political approval – news Troms and Finnmark
