– It is difficult for a minister to remain in office if she is under investigation. Then I think she should consider taking leave and let Økokrim do its job in peace, says Aydar to news. She is Rødt’s representative in the important control and constitutional committee at the Storting, which, among other things, has the task of supervising the government. When asked how she envisions a foreign minister being able to take leave from work, she replies as follows: – It has happened before. Tor Mikkel Wara took leave when he was Minister of Justice. It may well be that there is a solution now too, although it may also be that the Prime Minister thinks she must go. It is an assessment they have to make, says Aydar. CONTINUES: Work on the Huitfeldt case and other competency issues continues in the control committee regardless of what Økokrim does, says Rødt’s Seher Aydar. Photo: Olav Juven It was in March 2019 that the then Minister of Justice Wara was granted leave by the King in the Cabinet, as a result of the PST having brought charges against his cohabitant, Laila Bertheussen. Huitfeldt (Ap) recently admitted to having broken the integrity rules by not familiarizing herself with her husband’s share trading and thus not being able to assess her own integrity. – Will not speculate Økokrim has announced that a decision in the Huitfeldt case will be made today or tomorrow. When Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) was asked after Wednesday’s party leader debate on TV 2 whether the foreign minister could remain in office if an investigation is initiated, he replied as follows: – I think it is wrong to comment or speculate that they are now making that assessment. It is not known what they will come up with, so I will have to decide what they come up with. At the same time, he maintained to news that he still has confidence in the foreign minister. Right-wing leader Erna Solberg, who was head of government when Wara was granted a two-week leave, stated that it would be difficult for Huitfeldt to continue if a possible investigation were to result in a charge. – It is difficult to have a minister who has been charged in a case that could potentially have quite a large penalty, said Solberg to news. Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt had the following brief comment on Wednesday about the possibility of Økokrim launching an investigation: – I want full transparency. Demands explanation Seher Aydar in Rødt emphasizes that the work on the competency cases in the control committee continues unabated, regardless of what the conclusion from Økokrim is. The same is asserted by case mayor Grunde Almeland from Venstre. – We continue with full strength regardless of what we expect from Økokrim. We need a full explanation from Anniken Huitfeldt about her breach of confidentiality, says Almeland. REPORT: The control committee wants a report from Huitfeldt, says case mayor Grunde Almeland. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB Initially there will be a written statement, but the Liberal representative believes it is natural that Huitfeldt is also called in for a hearing later this autumn. He adds that it will also be natural to question what the Prime Minister’s office knew at all times. Almeland points out that the three other ministers in Støre’s government who have admitted breaching the integrity rules have already sent such reports to the Storting. It concerns Tonje Brenna (Ap), Anette Trettebergstuen (Ap) and Ola Borten Moe (Sp). As you know, the last two have left. How the questions to Huitfeldt are formulated, the committee will collectively decide on at its first meeting, on the Thursday after the election. Two have concluded The Progress Party and the Green Party have already concluded that they have no confidence in Anniken Huitfeldt and that she should therefore step down as foreign minister. The government’s budget partner SV has said that it is too early to determine this, before the processing in the committee is over. But SV has not protected Huitfeldt either, as they have done for a long time in the case related to Minister of Education Tonje Brenna. – For the Liberal Party, we must first do the work, then draw the conclusions, says Almeland. – But can you trust a foreign minister who is under investigation, if this is the outcome of Økokrim’s assessments? – If you start to investigate a sitting minister, it will certainly shake the trust. But I won’t jump to conclusions. For the control committee, this case is about the breaches of integrity that Huitfeldt has admitted, says Almeland, who adds that control cases at the Storting can ultimately end in censure.
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Rødt asks Huitfeldt to consider leave – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
