– I am shocked by what is now coming to light, says Venstre’s justice policy spokesperson Ingvild Wetrhus Thorsvik. She believes that it paints a picture of an agency “completely without control from the highest political authority”. Thorsvik refers to the loan itself, but also the lack of reporting to the National Audit Office as well as the concern from shop stewards which news said yesterday was already expressed last year. CRITICAL: Venstre’s Ingvild Wetrhus Thorsvik says she is shocked by the case. Photo: Ina Marie Sigurdsen / news – A picture is beginning to emerge of a minister of justice who does not have the necessary overview of what is happening in the agencies for which she has ultimate responsibility, says the Liberal representative. At 2 p.m., the Storting’s Control and Constitution Committee will meet to discuss the matter. It happens exactly one hour after the National Audit Office sent out a relatively sensational press release. – Not informed The National Audit Office has found it necessary to go through last year’s accounts of NSM again, and the conclusion is clear: The loan agreement with Norwegian Property is not mentioned in the annual accounts. NSM also did not inform the National Audit Office about the agreement. “When the National Audit Office became aware of the NSM case on Friday 8 December, we immediately went into it. We have again gone through the accounting documentation and other relevant information for 2022. The loan agreement with Norwegian Property is not mentioned in the annual report or the annual accounts of NSM,” the press release says. NOT INFORMED: The National Audit Office was not informed about the agreement, says Auditor General Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen. Photo: Ksenia Novikova / news The National Audit Office gave a clean audit report for the 2022 accounts, based on the information they had been made aware of. – We now know that the basis for our conclusion was incomplete. Based on the information we have today, we ascertain that NSM had broken significant laws and regulations by the end of 2022, says Auditor General Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen. Assessing new rounds Venstre’s Ingvild Wetrhus Thorsvik points out that NSM has a duty to inform its auditor, the National Audit Office, of information that is relevant to the accounts. – Not only have they breached the obligation to provide information – they have also misinformed the National Audit Office. It is very serious. NSM also never informed the National Audit Office about the need for increased funding. Had they done so, the National Audit Office would have had the opportunity to take a closer look at this at an earlier time, she says. When asked if the National Audit Office is now going to take a closer look at the accounts of other underlying state agencies, communications manager Siri Bentserud Wingerei replies that they are following the matter closely and make ongoing assessments “based on risk and materiality”: – But here it is natural to point out that the loan to NSM is illegal and thus unusual. It is too early to say whether we will look at the general practice in the state. The case in summary Sofie Nystrøm, director of the National Insurance Agency (NSM), has resigned due to an illegal loan agreement of NOK 200 million. The loan is a breach of current laws and regulations, including key points in the budget and financial regulations. Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) confirms that serious mistakes have been made and that the government is now working with the Ministry of Defense to survey the matter. Law professor Mads Andenæs at the University of Oslo expresses shock at the case and believes it is a matter for Økokrim. The loan was taken out in connection with NSM’s move to new premises in Fornebu, with unfavorable terms such as an interest rate of 10 per cent. The government has initiated a review of the loan agreement and the circumstances surrounding it, and has instructed NSM to stop all payments to the loan agreement. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication.
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NSM did not disclose loans:
