The case in summary: The Norwegian Tax Agency has reported a construction company in Arendal for undeclared work. Four people have been arrested, including the main man who owns the company, who is charged with gross financial infidelity. The Norwegian Tax Agency works with similar cases all over the country, and undeclared work is a priority issue. The authorities lose close to NOK 170 billion each year in lost taxes and duties, much of it due to undeclared work. The police have taken a lien on the private home of the presumed ringleader and are looking for several customers who have used the company. Several customers may also be charged in the case. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – We can confirm that it was we at the Tax Agency who reported the specific case in Arendal. That’s what Erik Nilsen says. He is department director for tax crime at the Swedish Tax Agency. He says efforts related to undeclared work have a high priority in the agency. – We have actively participated in the action, and have for a long time collaborated closely with the police on the matter. Recent calculations made by the main organization Virke show that undeclared work probably amounts to close to NOK 85 billion annually in this country. – The calculations are based on Swedish surveys. They show that undeclared work makes up around 2.5 per cent of the gross domestic product, GDP. That’s what senior advisor, analysis in the organisation, Lasse André Paulsen says. He has calculated that Norway, like Sweden, is not a pioneering nation in this area. – We are roughly in the middle of the tree in Europe in terms of undeclared work. – Camouflaged in serious companies On Wednesday it became known that the police in Agder had arrested 4 people after an action against a construction company in Arendal. Several of these are customers of the company. They are charged with complicity in undeclared work. The police do not rule out more arrests. The main man who owns the company was remanded in custody on Wednesday. He is charged with gross financial adultery. The man in his 40s denies criminal guilt. The other three accused have been questioned and released. The case is far from unique, according to Nilsen. – We work with cases all over the country where significant amounts are involved, says Nilsen. According to Virke, the proportion who state that they have bought undeclared work in this country has been fairly stable in recent years. But this has fallen a little at the beginning of the 2010s. Therefore, criminals have found new and clever methods to get there, says Nilsen. – This is often camouflaged activity within supposedly serious companies. Then they get a good image to show to the outside. Department director for tax crime in the Swedish Tax Agency Erik Nilsen. Photo: The Swedish Tax Agency Several questioned on Thursday On Thursday, the police continued the investigation into the case in Arendal. The company in question, based in Arendal, is said to have sold various types of craft services. – During the day, we questioned both witnesses and those charged in the case. This work will continue tomorrow. That’s what police prosecutor Sidsel Huse of the Agder police says. She confirms that the police have taken a lien on the private home of the presumed ringleader. The agency is now looking for more customers who have used the company. But they don’t want to reveal which company it is. – We are interested in getting in touch with more witnesses who have used the company. Several customers may also be charged in the case, says Huse. Sidsel Huse, police attorney in the Agder police district. Photo: Erik Wiig Andersen / news – I have come across many such companies – It is not often that I come across cases with such high amounts when it comes to undeclared work. That’s what Leif Vagle, who has over 30 years’ experience in the police, says. He now heads the organization Fair Play in Agder, which, among other things, actively tips the police and tax authorities about workplace crime. Vagle is not surprised that this case is being rolled up. – We have focused on this company over time, he says. Leif Vagle in Fair Play in Agder is not surprised by the case that is unfolding in Arendal. He says he has come across several similar companies. Photo: Svein Sundsdal / news That several of the accused are Eastern Europeans does not surprise him either. – Unfortunately, it is the case that foreign workers who are employed by these companies are also exploited by unscrupulous criminal actors. They do not know the rights and obligations we have in Norway. Vagle asks people to be careful and take precautions when they have construction work carried out. – They must ensure that they make a good and proper agreement where there is agreement on what is to be done, at what price and when it is to be done. He adds that it is important to check that the company in question is registered in the Brønnøysund registers. Published 07.11.2024, at 18.34 Updated 08.11.2024, at 12.47 p.m
ttn-69
Construction company in Arendal under investigation – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
