On Saturday, it became known that a temporary worker in Sparebank 1 SMN has been charged with gross embezzlement and money laundering. The man in his 20s is accused of embezzling tens of millions of kroner from Sparebanken1 SMN. – He received an inquiry from the bank’s internal control, probably in the middle of Christmas. They asked about certain things that were not quite right. He says that perhaps he should have been stopped by the bank then, says defender Christian Wiik to news. The accused bank employee must have wanted to negotiate with the employer to avoid a police report and arrest. – He probably realized that it was starting to burn under his feet. So it was urgent for him to get in touch with the bank via me, says Wiik to news. The bank’s experts now work closely with the police and Økokrim. They begin to get a good overview of the situation. – Has been going on for just over a month The man was arrested on Thursday – two hours after the bank had reported it to the police. He has pleaded guilty. The defense attorney does not understand why neither the bank nor the police have been willing to say anything about how large an amount his client has embezzled. – I know that – but I don’t understand why they keep a lid on this to such an extent. But as long as the police don’t give me permission to say how big the amount is, I can’t say anything other than what the police themselves have said – that it is several tens of millions. Lawyer Christian Wiig is defending the man in his 20s. Photo: Bent Lindsetmo – Can you say something about how long this has been going on? – I have understood it to mean that the police believe that this has been going on for about a month. Overview of the sequence of events On Saturday, the top management of Sparebank 1 SMN sat in a crisis meeting at the head office in Trondheim. – We have set aside very large resources to deal with this case since it was discovered on Thursday morning. We want to recover as much as possible of the values and money that are gone. The CEO is reticent about what came out of the meeting. – It was a very special day yesterday, as the case became public knowledge. There was then a need to inform customers, employees, the general public, the market and investors. Executive director Rolf Jarle Brøske in Sparebank 1 SMN. Photo: Lena Erikke Hatland He says that the bank believes it has a good overview of the course of events. But for reasons of security and the police investigation, he will not comment on anything about it at this time. – The case was uncovered thanks to internal routines and control systems. I can’t be more specific than that. Control of a smaller share On Sunday, the CEO will still not say what the total amount is. Together with the police, the bank has gained control over a share of the money. The CEO will not say how much. – It is a smaller share. We take into account that a large proportion of the embezzled amount has been lost. Sparebank1 SMN will also initiate its own investigations, says Brøske. – We are very relieved that no customers are affected. The money that has been drained is drained from the bank, and that is of course a serious matter. But it would have been even more dramatic if customers had suffered damage, says Brøske. – We take the matter very seriously. It is very rare that you have this type of case with such a large scope. On Monday morning, bank employees will return to work. They were informed on Saturday, at the same time as it became public knowledge. – There have been quite a few reactions, but I would like to think that when people come to work on Monday, that is probably when we will feel the biggest impact, he says. Denies accomplices The bank employee has been remanded in custody for two weeks with a ban on letters and visits. The reason is the high risk of evidence being destroyed. The man has appealed against the length of his imprisonment. – It is because he has accepted a week’s detention with a ban on letters and visitors. And he has expressed that he is willing to allow himself to be questioned again – also today, Sunday. I can also stand, says the defender to news. On Saturday, the police stated that they could not rule out that the man who is now in custody has been alone in this. – I took part in questioning on Thursday, Friday and a comprehensive judicial questioning yesterday Saturday, and I cannot see that the police believe there is any basis for believing that there are accomplices, says Wiig. – He has denied it himself, and I think that is correct. Unfortunately, I think he has managed all this himself. The man, who is charged with gross embezzlement and money laundering, has been remanded in custody for two weeks. He has accepted a week. Photo: Bent Lindsetmo / news
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The accused bank deputy believes he should have been stopped by the bank earlier – news Trøndelag
