The National Security Authority (NSM) has run into trouble after a disputed lease for new premises at Fornebu in Bærum. After they moved in this autumn, the alarm bells rang in the Ministry of Justice because the rent became far more expensive than NSM could afford. It turned out that NSM had also taken out an illegal loan of NOK 200 million from the landlord, the John Fredriksen-controlled Norwegian Property. The lease was signed in May last year, and contained an option to enter into a larger lease to get even more space at Fornebu. The deadline for extending the agreement was set for 15 May 2023. In lease agreements above a certain size, Statsbygg must be used as an adviser, and the agreement approved by the Ministry of Local Government, which is responsible for the state’s property policy. Asking for advice just before the deadline expired On Thursday 11 May this year, the phone rang for a department director in the Ministry of Local Government. At the other end was a colleague in the Ministry of Justice, where NSM is subject. The National Security Authority had said that they would extend the lease at Oksenøyveien 36 in Fornebu. They wondered if the Ministry of Local Government had any objections. If the option was triggered, it would increase NSM’s rent at Fornebu by NOK 11.5 million annually, an inspection of the documents shows. The lease period was until 2038. However, according to the “Instructions on construction and lease matters in the state civil sector”, agreements of this size were to be quality assured by the Ministry of Local Government. Got a stern message back The formal inquiry from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of Local Government was sent in a letter the same day. The very next day, Friday before the option deadline expired, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs responded: “KDD perceives that there is agreement with JD (ed. note. Ministry of Justice) that the agencies’ work with future lease contracts, and the involvement of Statsbygg in the lease process, must start well before expiry date, preferably 2–3 years in advance” The Ministry of Local Government further wrote: “We would like to note that the matter has been submitted to us with a very tight deadline.” The ministry pointed out that starting the process in good time is important to “avoid a lock-in effect in existing leases as a result of short deadlines” before concluding that they had no comments that NSM triggered the option to extend the lease. The ministry refuses to answer questions news has asked questions about the process to the government and resigned NSM director Sofie Nystrøm about why NSM did not connect advisers before the deadline was four days away. Department director Kaare Falkenberg in the Ministry of Local Government will not answer questions about the case from news, and refers to the ministry’s press service. The press service, for its part, refers to the Ministry of Justice’s notified review, and will not answer any of news’s questions about the matter: Was it timely to involve the Ministry of Local Government 4 days before the deadline expired? How did the ministry react to the short deadline? Was the Ministry of Local Government sufficiently involved in the co-location process in NSM? How did the short deadline affect the ministry’s proceedings? TAUS: Departed NSM director Sofie Nystrøm will not answer questions about the case, and says via her hired press advisor that she is awaiting the external review. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB Not even resigned NSM director Sofie Nystrøm will answer why it was so late to involve the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, and gives the following comment via her hired press advisor Petter Kvinge-Tvedt: “I welcome the external investigation to get full clarity on the matter, and I will contribute to the committee’s work in every way I can”.
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Asked for moving advice four days before the deadline expired – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
