Today, Erna Solberg met the press and spoke about her husband Sindre Finnes’s 3,650 share transactions during the time when she was prime minister. A sobbing head teacher told how Finnes had been dishonest with her, and that she had been incompetent. – Økokrim has followed the information that has emerged in the public domain regarding Finnes’ share purchases in recent weeks, most recently during Erna Solberg’s press conference, says Økokrim boss Pål K. Lønseth. – We will assess whether there is a basis for an open investigation into a possible breach of rules in the Securities Trading Act. We will consider that in the autumn, and come back to it with a decision. Similar to the Huitfeldt case, Morten Kinander, law professor at BI Business School, says there are many similarities between the cases of Huitfeldt’s husband and Finnes. This is Huitfeldt’s case The husband of Anniken Huitfeldt (Ap) has bought and sold shares, including in the arms manufacturer Kongsberg Gruppen, while she has been foreign minister. This summer, Huitfeldt received new information about her husband’s purchase and sale of shares. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs therefore asked the legal department in the Ministry of Justice to assess the case. According to the legal department, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has not fulfilled his duty under the ethics rules to obtain information about the husband’s financial activities. As head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as a member of the government, her husband’s ownership interests will easily lead to disqualification. She should have done more to prevent herself from ending up in such a situation. Based on the response from the legal department, there is reason to believe that the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been incompetent in several cases. Therefore, she assumes that she has been incompetent in several cases while she has been foreign minister, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The legal department nevertheless finds that decisions she has made, both in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the government, will be valid because she has had no knowledge of her husband’s shares, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Huitfeldt says she wants full transparency and deeply regrets that she has made wrong assessments. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs) – Only on a larger scale. It is not necessarily a more serious matter, it depends on whether it is inside information or not. The risk that he has used inside information increases because of the scope. Should Økokrim look into the matter? – In any case, they have got a dilemma because they said they did not want to investigate Huitfeldt. Considering the Borten Moe case, there is perhaps an expectation that Økokrim should do something. Morten Kinander is a law professor at BI. – A lot needs to be cleaned up in Professor of Forensic Science and lawyer, Mads Andenæs, believes the Prime Minister’s office has a great responsibility in the case and also says that there is a lack of culture there. – It is uncultured at SMK not to make rules for lawyers, auditors and board members in listed companies, as we otherwise have in society. Among them, there are completely different rules. Erna Solberg and Sindre Finnes together with Joe Biden. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB Andenæs believes that clearer and stricter rules are needed. It is Jan Ludvig Andreassen, chief economist at Eika eining i. – We must have stricter rules. There is a lot that needs to be cleaned up. Andreassen believes it is a system error that causes Finnes and others to trade shares. – I am asking for a system debate, and not a personal debate. Anniken Huitfeldt has previously admitted that she was incompetent after her husband Ola Flem had bought shares in several companies. It was the same period that Huitfeldt was foreign minister. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre then made changes to the guidelines. Need an assessment Professor of company law, Tore Bråthen, says that there is a further need for a proper review of the rules. – Firstly, it is whether he has done something serious. Økokrim will assess whether there are grounds for an investigation. The employer says he has not broken any internal rules. Stein Lier-Hansen, managing director of Norsk Industri, where Finnes works, says that stock trading is not problematic for Finnes’ workplace. – The main rule for our employees is that they must follow Norwegian law, and not come into conflict with any exchange-sensitive information. Bråthen says the case shows that one should consider whether the spouses of politicians should be able to trade shares. Law professor Tore Bråthen says Photo: Tore Meek / SCANPIX – I think it might be wise to consider it in a different context than right now, in more peace and quiet. There are many forms of share trading, and some forms should be assessed more strictly than others. He hopes for a proper review of the rules. – If politicians are to be able to trade shares, there should be comprehensive arrangements regarding the obligation to report, but I am not sure that politicians’ spouses should have an absolute ban in all contexts, says the law professor.
ttn-69
Økokrim must assess whether there are grounds for investigating the Finnes case – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
