This autumn it will be four years since the disappearance. In recent weeks, there has been more news about disagreements within the police than the investigation itself. – It has never been our wish that the investigation management should no longer work on the case, but it is a choice they have made on the basis that we want a new type of organisation, and we must respect that, says police chief Ida Melbo Øystese in the East police district. Ida Melbo Øystese is police chief in the East police district. Photo: Ola Mjaaland / news In July, it became known that Gjermund Hanssen is retiring from the role of prosecutor after almost two years. Last week, VG wrote that the rest of the investigative leadership is also ending. – Not lucky Together with prosecutor Hanssen, the investigative leaders Børge Rønning from East police district, Frode Lier from Kripos and police prosecutor Jane Lundstadsveen from East police district have had prominent roles in the investigation that started when Anne-Elisabeth Hagen disappeared from Lørenskog on 31 October 2018. All these four now surrender. GIR SEG: Police attorney Jane Lundstadsveen, here in the Lower Romerike District Court, which was to decide whether the police were allowed to seize Tom Hagen’s home in the summer of 2020. Photo: Heiko Junge / Heiko Junge Now the leadership in the East police district is telling more about the disagreements. – Of course, it is not lucky that it happens the way it does. At the same time, the police are well used to the fact that we have to change investigation management for various reasons. Those who are leaving are very professional and will, for a good period of time, transfer their knowledge to the new management, says unit leader in the East police district, Frode Gunnar Larsen. – Disagreement about further allocation of resources He says that it is about “a professional disagreement about further allocation of resources and operations”. – They have worked in a kind of team that has been spared other matters. We will now manage the Lørenskog case in the same way as other cases in the East police district, he says. Unit leader in the East police district, Frode Gunnar Larsen. Photo: Ola Mjaaland / news The head of the unit is clear that the new model is not a downgrading of the case. – It is never pleasant when we end up in this type of conflict, but I am absolutely confident that those who take over will do a very good job. I’m not worried about that, he says. Kari Karlsen Aas takes over as head of prosecution investigation in the case after Gjermund Hanssen. She will be the third prosecutor in the case since 2018. The police presented the entire new leadership last week in a press release. END: Police inspector Gjermund Hanssen in the East police district. Photo: Runar Henriksen Jørstad / news The investigation into the disappearance case has been very extensive. Since the disappearance almost four years ago, our own investigators have worked 100 per cent on the case. As many as 30 investigators have been connected to the case at any given time. More clues In April 2020, her husband Tom Hagen was arrested and charged with murder or complicity in the murder of Anne-Elisabeth Hagen. – Do you have to find Anne-Elisabeth Hagen to solve the case? – It is our clear goal to find Anne-Elisabeth Hagen, but it may not be absolutely crucial to solving the case, says Larsen. – Which projects will you devote large resources to in the future to solve the case? – As of now, we are spending a lot of resources on the so-called crypto trail, as well as reviewing many seizures from the crime scene and so on. Our hope is that analyzes from there will provide a breakthrough, says Larsen. He also mentions that it will be important for the police to track the users of the SIM cards bought at Bunnpris in Iladalen or Greenland. These are linked to a mobile number which, according to the police, was used in the preparations for the abduction. The police arrested Tom Hagen after a lengthy and covert investigation against him. He was released from custody a short time later, and has always denied having anything to do with the disappearance. GIR SEG: From the right, the investigative leaders Børge Rønning from the East police district and Frode Lier from Kripos. Here outside the home of the Hagen couple in Sloraveien 4 the day after Tom Hagen was arrested in April 2020. Both of them give themselves up in the management of the case. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB Defends that the charges are still upheld Tom Hagen has told news that he has nothing to do with the disappearance. Hagen still has status as the accused in the case. The police previously did not want to answer whether the suspicion against him has been strengthened or weakened. In addition, another man is charged with aggravated complicity in deprivation of liberty. He also denies criminal guilt. The police chief in the East police district says she has a great understanding of the burden on the accused in the case. – Do you have a limit for when a prosecution decision must be made? – Yes, we have. It is the case that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. It’s called the presumption of innocence. In addition to that, everyone has a right to a fair trial. It lies in human rights. This means that if you are charged in a case, you have a requirement that the question of guilt be clarified within a reasonable time. We are concerned that there is progress in the case which defends that the charges are still upheld, says the police chief.
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– Not lucky – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
