– Through 18 years at the police station in Bergen, my experience is that it is not a workplace that is ripe for an officer to report objectionable situations. That’s what police officer Kenneth Berg says during Friday’s launch of the book Kidnapped – The Osen case from the inside. The book is about how he experienced working with the Osen case. It started in 2015, when art dealer and businessman Reidar Osen was abducted and robbed. Reidar Osen was abducted in his own car. Photo: The police / news Didn’t get to work on the case On 9 December 2015, Reidar Osen was attacked when he was about to start his car when he had come out of his gallery in Nygaten, close to the police station in Bergen. At least three masked men pulled a bag over his head. For hours they must have driven around with Osen in the boot of the car. They said that a grave had been prepared for him, and put a gun down his throat, according to Osen. Osen got away from the perpetrators, and was admitted to hospital. After four intense weeks of work to find the perpetrators, the investigation was stepped down. Chief investigator Berg was gradually told not to work on the case any more. Instead, Berg and Osen worked together to investigate the case secretly. The investigator sneaked into Osen by entering the back door of the gallery, so that he would not be seen from the police station. – It was very unpleasant to be on the outside and inside of the police at the same time, he says. Berg finally warned that the case was not given high enough priority and was investigated too poorly. Berg reported this to police chief Kaare Songstad in 2018. – I would not recommend anyone else to report, as the situation is in the police today, says Berg. You can read the response from the West Police District further down in the case. Reidar Osen was badly carried away during the abduction. Photo: Private – Øyredøyvande tausheit Two men were finally convicted of the abduction of Osen, and of abducting Petter Slengesol in February 2015. The last seven years have been difficult for Berg. The work of taking the case forward gradually took up all free time. When he announced, he met with resistance. – It will be spoken with two tongues. They encourage you to notify, but when the notification comes, you do nothing. It has been extremely demanding. I started writing the book as therapy for myself, in an attempt to write the case out of my body, says Berg. Berg has been on sick leave for a long time in the past seven years. Now he is back in his job as head of investigation at the homicide section for the police in Bergen. Berg says it was also demanding to get back to work after he had been on sick leave. – There has been a deafening silence, both from management and my closest colleagues, says Berg. Reidar Osen had several injuries after the incident. The mark on the neck is from the muzzle of a gun, according to Osen. Photo: Politiet Expects varied reception Berg expects that the book will receive a varied reception from colleagues at the police station in Bergen. – Someone will probably feel offended, someone will probably be pissed off. Someone will probably be happy. My experience is that this book is not the desire of the police leadership in Bergen, says Berg. He is not sure about his own future. – I am still employed, but the way forward for me is unclear to me as of today, he says. Police Chief Kaare Songstad in the West Police District replies that it is difficult to respond to individual parts of the criticism as the leadership in the district has not read the book yet. Police Chief Kaare Songstad in the West Police District says he has not read the book yet. Photo: Kaja Hauge / news Via the communication unit Songstad with a more general answer. – We have not read the book, but understand from the preliminary review that it is based on an admittedly subjective opinion, writes Songstad in his reply. – There is plenty of room for employees to express themselves critically about rights in the workplace – and in book form – but I expect this to happen in a factual and balanced way where one takes into account colleagues, the working environment and the rules that apply to the disclosure of information in criminal cases, says Songstad. The police chief says he has acknowledged on several occasions that the Osen case should have been a higher priority. – The Osen case coincided with the build-up of operation Dark Room, which drew a lot of resources in the same period. We therefore did not have the capacity to prioritize otherwise, says Songstad. The response to police chief Kaare Songstad This is the entire response police chief Kaare Songstad in the West police district has conveyed to news by e-mail via the communication unit in the district: – This case has been special for the West police district, especially considering all the attention it has received. There are many who have done a solid piece of police work in this case, both initially and in the new investigation that led to a breakthrough and that three people were charged and convicted. There are therefore many who deserve credit for their efforts in the matter. However, I have acknowledged on several occasions that the matter should have been a higher priority. The Osen case coincided with the build-up of operation Dark Room, which drew a lot of resources in the same period. We therefore did not have the capacity to prioritize differently. We are not unaccustomed to disagreements arising internally in individual cases and about the police management’s priorities. The case has been dealt with by the police district’s notification group and assessed by the Bureau of Police Affairs without any reason being found to criticize our assessments. We have nevertheless recognized that the matter should have been prioritized higher. We have not read the book, but understand from the advance review that it is based on one employee’s subjective opinion. Many people have been involved in the case over the years and there will be different opinions about the authors’ version. There is wide access for employees to express themselves critically about conditions in the workplace – also in book form – but I expect this to take place in a factual and balanced way, where one takes into account colleagues, the working environment and the rules that apply to the mention of information in criminal cases. Seven years before final verdict It was only in 2019, after the state prosecutor had asked for a new investigation, that the case was seen in connection with Petter Slengesol’s similar abduction in February 2015. In November 2020, the trial after the two abductions started in the district court. A Polish man who was 37 at the time was convicted of both crimes, while a then 32-year-old Polish man was convicted of the abduction and robbery of Petter Slengesol. The case was appealed to the Gulating Court of Appeal. Both were found guilty of both robberies, and they received five years and four months and five years and eight months in prison, respectively. In February 2022, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal of the two Polish men.
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No one is recommended to report – news Vestland
