Økokrim has issued a new indictment against architect Rune Breili – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio

The case started in the spring of 2017. Then there were several people who reacted to the employees’ integrity in a number of cases. After news revealed that the construction case manager had been paid to fill in construction case papers he processed himself, an investigation was launched. And the employee, Hans Petter Abrahamsen, was suspended. In particular, the relationship between employees in the municipality and architect Rune Breili was scrutinized. It also emerged that both Abrahamsen and the building case manager before him, Harald Svendsen, had worked for architect Breili for different periods. In the autumn of 2017, the investigation report that the municipality had ordered was presented. It revealed serious breaches of ethical rules and procedural errors, but not corruption. The municipality then sent the report to the police for assessment against the corruption provisions in the Criminal Code. Økokrim worked on the case for over two years. On 30 April 2020, it became known that two people are being prosecuted for gross corruption. Architect Rune Breili is said to have secretly helped former construction manager Harald Svendsen to design a new house. According to Økokrim, the service should have cost NOK 50,000. At the same time, Svendsen sat and approved building applications from architect Breili. Svendsen has also been presented with a list of 13 addresses where serious mistakes are said to have been committed. He does not accept this either, according to lawyer Knut Henrik Strømme. The other former building case manager, Hans Petter Abrahamsen, has received a fine of NOK 15,000. Økokrim believes he has approved applications without following the correct procedure. Today, Tjøme is part of the new Færder municipality. Since the merger in 2018, the new municipality has worked to review over 150 old building cases. Several have had to demolish their buildings. No cabin owner has ever been charged or prosecuted for doing anything wrong. But Færder municipality must have reported three pieces. It is not known who this is. All have so far denied having done anything wrong. (April 30, 2020)



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