Last week, news was able to report that a total of 30 guardsmen have been fired from the Armed Forces after using drugs. The case started when the police notified the Norwegian Defense Forces at the beginning of August. The background for the warning was a party, where, according to the head of the guard, the participants had used what he refers to as “party drugs”. Five of the guards who were dismissed last week are said to have attended the party. Lawyer John Christian Elden confirms that lawyer Inger Zadig will assist several of the discharged guards. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB Afterwards, the case was taken up internally at Garden. Then a further 25 guardsmen admitted to having used drugs after raids in January. Now some of the 25 guards who admitted their own drug use have contacted the law firm Elden. John Christian Elden confirms this to news. – We have been contacted by some of those who were dismissed, and will look into whether this was a correct measure on the part of the Armed Forces. The case is currently in an initial phase, so I don’t have much to say so far, writes Elden in an e-mail to news. – Deep concern It is lawyer Inger Zadig at the Elden law office who is handling the case. Zadig says the case is in an initial phase, but says to news that it is correct to assist several of the guards who were dismissed. – Although it is too early to draw conclusions yet, there are aspects of the proceedings that give cause for deep concern, writes Zadig in an email. Zadig believes the graduation decisions are “very invasive, with major consequences for our clients”. – The case, as it has been portrayed in the media so far, in no way coincides with what they have been exposed to. – We are in the process of surveying the proceedings up to the dismissal decisions and the basis for the dismissal very thoroughly, writes Zadig. – In its full right The armed forces have zero tolerance towards drugs. It was guard commander Trond Robert Forbregd who made the decision that the 30 guardsmen should graduate. Guard commander Trond Robert Forbregd. Photo: Bjørne Østrem Djukastein / news Forbregd told news last week that it was about “great women and men who have made a mistake” and “that it has a consequence”. Forbregd has also said that none of the drug cases have been reported to the police. news has been in contact with Brage Steinsson Wiik-Hansen, spokesman for the Norwegian Army, to get a comment on this case. – If the conscripts who have been discharged wish to proceed with the case, they are fully entitled to do so. As of now, the Army has no further comment on the matter, says spokesman Brage Steinson Wiik-Hansen in the Army to news. Guards give a demonstration to defense chief Espen Barth Eide at Huseby camp in Oslo in 2018. The soldiers have no connection to the drug case that has now been uncovered. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB The chief of defense has asked for an assessment At the weekend, chief of defense Erik Kristoffersen was asked whether he agrees with the head of the guard’s decision to dismiss the guards. Kristoffersen then replied that he trusted the assessment of the head of the guard. At the same time, the chief of defense said that he has asked for an assessment “on what was behind the reaction, what actually happened and what information the guards received during the process”.
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Narcotics-dismissed guards have contacted Advokatfirmaet Elden – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
