– I am absolutely sure that I have not done anything wrong in this case, says shrimp fisherman Henrik Sørensen to news. He has sued the insurance companies Gjensidige and Havtrygd after the shrimp trawler “Teis” burned and sank outside Moss in 2021. Sørensen claims he is entitled to NOK 2.9 million – the same amount for which the boat was insured. The insurance companies refuse to pay out the amount, because they believe Sørensen has committed serious insurance fraud. – I did not cause this fire. Neither with a gas bottle or anything else, he says. VG mentioned the case first. In 2018, Henrik Sørensen bought the shrimp trawler “Teis”. Now he is unsure whether he wants to continue as a shrimp fisherman. Photo: Jan Egil Sandstad Gas bottle central The Crown’s evidence in the case is a large gas bottle that was found on the shrimp trawler after the fire. The gas bottle, which weighed almost 60 kilos, was used for a shrimp cooker which was located at the back of the boat. Gjensidige and Havtrygd believe that the gas cylinder was placed in the cabin at the front of the boat before the fire, writes VG. – Havtrygd ascertains that you yourself caused the fire, says a letter that the newspaper quotes. The gas bottle was found in the cabin, near the toilet, after the fire. The cabin is completely burnt out, while the lower part of the gas cylinder does not have as visible burn damage. Photo: Gjensidige og Havtrygd’s report Sørensen believes that cannot possibly be true. He points out that the gas bottle was not completely burnt out, as the rest of the cabin was. Normally it was placed on deck in a container. The soot damage on the wall behind the container also shows that the gas cylinder must have been placed there, according to the shrimp fisherman. Sørensen is certain that the gas cylinder was placed in the container at the bottom right of the picture when the fire broke out in the boat. Photo: Henrik Sørensen The gas bottles on the boat were normally placed in this container. Photo: Henrik Sørensen This is what the large gas cylinder looked like after the fire. Photo: Henrik Sørensen Sørensen also believes that the photo below shows that the gas cylinder was ignited while it was on the back deck – not in the cabin, as the insurance companies state. According to Sørensen, the photo shows that there was a fire in two different places at the same time in the boat. At the front by the engine compartment, and at the back on the deck by the gas bottle. Photo: The rescue company Reketråleren was destroyed by the insurance company in June last year. A month later, Sørensen received a letter from the insurance company. There it was claimed that he was behind the fire. – I find it very strange that they make such accusations, especially considering that the accusations are made after the boat has been destroyed, which means that I don’t get the opportunity to contradict what they come up with. This is what the fishing boat “Teis” looked like before the fire in November 2021. The boat has now been destroyed. Photo: Henrik Sørensen The police dropped the case Gjensidige and Havtrygd believe Sørensen has committed serious insurance fraud. Therefore, they demand that the shrimp fisherman turn over NOK 1.6 million for expenses they have had in the aftermath of the shipwreck. The insurance companies also reported Sørensen for gross insurance fraud. That case was dropped earlier this year, documents news has gained access to show. The companies do not want to comment on the case before it comes before the court in September. Gjensidige communications manager Pål Rune Eklo says this in a text message to news. He also speaks on behalf of Havtrygd. For the record: Henrik Sørensen lives with one of news’s journalists who works in news Oslo and Viken. The journalist in question has not contributed to the work on this case.
ttn-69
– I haven’t done anything wrong – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
