Only three months after the politicians demanded a roll of the head after the long-running whistleblower in Vestfold and Telemark county municipality, director Lisbeth Eek Svensson is now resigning. The whistleblower brawl has cost taxpayers more than NOK 15 million. At its own request On Thursday, the county municipality sent out a press release announcing that Lisbeth Eek Svensson is stepping down as director. It happens at your own request. Svensson is director of Business, innovation and competence in Vestfold and Telemark county municipality and resigns with effect from 1 July 2022. RETURNS: Lisbeth Eek Svensson resigns from her position as director of industry, innovation and competence in Vestfold and Telemark county municipality. (Archive photo) Photo: Kristine Mellefoss Svensson does not want to comment on the case beyond the press release. – I have of course informed colleagues and employees internally about my choice. Other than that, I have nothing to say. Svensson writes in an SMS to news. From July, Svensson will take up a position as an adviser in the county municipality. – She will be an advisor in the new project organization that we have established. We will work to build new county municipalities. This is explained by county director Arve Semb Christophersen. Svensson retains the director’s salary in the new position. – Yes, she does it as a personal arrangement, says Christophersen. Arve Semb Christophersen, county councilor in Vestfold and Telemark Photo: Kristine Mellefoss Consequence of whistleblowing A report presented in March concluded with an indefensible working environment in the county municipality. The county director confirms that the resignation is a consequence of the whistleblower noise in the county municipality. – Lisbeth and I have had a need for dialogue after the notification report. She is the one who has drawn this conclusion, says Christophersen. – What happens to the other leaders who received criticism? – We work broadly with follow-up of the whistleblower case, but there is no other individual follow-up of managers now, says the county director. – Unsustainable working environment Ever since Vestfold and Telemark were merged, the top management in the county municipality has been marked by conflicts. Among other things, two leaders have had to resign from their positions. In order to clean up, an external law firm was given the task of investigating what had gone wrong and getting the facts on the table. In March, lawyer Jan Fougner presented the external investigation report. It revealed ethical abuse, secrecy and disorderly conduct from leaders in Vestfold and Telemark county municipalities. REPORT: Lawyer Jan Fougner presented the external alert report for the county committee in Vestfold and Telemark county municipality Photo: Vigdis Hella / news – Legalizes unacceptable behavior When the investigation report was presented, a united opposition demanded that several of the top leaders in Vestfold and Telemark county municipality resign. KrF’s group leader Hans Edvard Askjer reacts to the fact that the reaction against Svensson is not harsher. – When the county director has said that it is a serious report, I think this is a mild reaction. – Are you surprised? – Yes, based on the serious report, it would have been natural with a different reaction, says the KrF politician and continues. – By allowing people to continue, you legalize a behavior that to that degree is unacceptable in my eyes. – Do you think she should be fired? – Yes, if I had been the county director, there would have been nothing to discuss. I think this is gross abuse, says Askjer. – A scandal KrF politician points out that Svensson had the clearest responsibility. – I had expected a different reaction to signal what kind of ethics and morals we should accept and not accept in the county municipality. Hans Edvard Askjer thinks employees are surprised by the decision. – I think they are surprised that you get away with this type of management. I think this is a scandal, Askjer answers. County director Arve Semb Christophersen does not want to comment on the criticism from the KrF politician.
ttn-69
Required head rolling in the county council. Now the director of – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
