– There is not a shred of evidence that he contributed to the abduction. This is what Hagen’s defender Svein Holden says during a press conference at Advokatfirmaet Hjort on Friday. For over four years, her husband Tom Hagen has been charged with murder or complicity in murder. On Friday, it became known that the Attorney General is dropping the case against him, because “no criminal matter is considered proven”. – Hagen naturally expresses relief that the case against him is now closed, says Holden. MARRIED COUPLE: Tom Hagen and Anne-Elisabeth Hagen were married when the latter disappeared. Photo: PRIVAT – Gross breach of the police’s duty of confidentiality During the defenders’ press conference on Friday, Holden made a very critical statement about the police’s work. – It was clear to us that the police leaked information and facilitated a smear campaign against Hagen in the media. These are serious breaches of the police’s duty of confidentiality, says Holden. He says that Hagen has helped the police as best he could during the entire investigation, both in the form of questioning and passing on information. – It was clear to us that the police leaked information and facilitated a smear campaign against Hagen in the media. These are serious breaches of the police’s duty of confidentiality, says Holden. – We are pleased that the Attorney General today shares our view that the accusation against Hagen was groundless and that he is 100 per cent innocent, says Holden. – Considered to be innocent Earlier on Friday, the Eastern Police District held a press conference. Here they confirmed that the Attorney General had dropped the case against Tom Hagen. Prosecutor in Vibeke Schøyen says that the police have investigated the case widely in recent years. – Based on the extensive investigation, there is no evidence to believe that Tom Hagen is involved in the disappearance of his wife Anne Elisabeth Hagen, says Schøyen. – This means that Hagen is beyond suspicion and he is considered to be innocent. The investigation against Tom Erik Hagen has thus been put to an end. – Leaks have been devastating for the investigation. During the day, the East police district has received the criticism that has come from Hagen’s defenders. – This makes an impression to listen to, says prosecutor Vibeke Schøyen to news. She says the police want to review the criticism in dialogue with Hagen and his family. The police do not want to respond to individual elements of the criticism now. – We, as the defenders, deeply apologize for the leaks that have been in the case. – The leaks have been devastating for the investigation and not least a burden for Tom Hagen and his family, says Schøyen. Wants a review of the police’s work During the lawyers’ press conference, it was also said that Hagen’s trust in the police has weakened. The defenders sent a 46-page letter to the prosecution earlier this year, when they were told that the case was on its way to being prosecuted. Now they want a thorough review of the police’s work, says lawyer Mikkel Toft Gimse, who also represents Tom Hagen. This means the dismissal There are different forms of dismissal of criminal cases, explains Katrine Holter, associate professor of criminal law at the Norwegian Police Academy, to news: A dismissal coded as “no criminal matter proven” means that an investigation has been carried out where the evidence is particularly strong against the fact that something punishable has been done. This is often the type of conviction many accused people want, and is the closest you get to a clean sweep. When, on the other hand, cases are dismissed on the basis of “the state of the evidence”, it is expressed that the case does not have enough evidence to issue an indictment that could result in a conviction. Here, it is the absence of evidence that is central. – We think that there are so many objectionable conditions that we have pointed out in our letter to the Attorney General, which makes it natural that a thorough review of how the police’s work has been has been done, says Gimse. Lawyer Mikkel Toft Gimse. Photo: Ismail Burak Akkan / news He refers, among other things, to what they believe to be grossly illegal information leaks from the police, – Not unnatural During the press conference, Svein Holden says that it was not unnatural that the spotlight was directed at Tom Hagen after his wife disappeared. – It was in no way unexpected. He said that this was one of the first things he said to his client: – As her husband, he must expect to be followed. So it was by no means unexpected, but the police should have taken the natural consequence of their lack of findings and never made an arrest, says Holden. Can seek compensation Now that the case against Tom Erik Hagen has been dropped, he has the opportunity to claim compensation from the state. If he wants to do that, defender Svein Holden will not comment now. – This is not a topic we are thinking about today. If it should become relevant at some point, we will have to deal with it then. But for now, there are no thoughts whatsoever about that, says Holden. Understands the burden For four and a half years, Tom Hagen has been charged with murder or complicity in the murder of his wife. Prosecutor Vibeke Schøyen says the police are very understanding that this has been a great burden for Hagen. – We have assessed the grounds for suspicion and the charge against national and international rules and human rights throughout, she says. During the press conference on Friday, the police were asked if they would now apologize to Hagen. – We have carried out an investigation which we believe is good, and we are of the opinion that we understand and we experience that it is difficult to face such charges over time. We acknowledge that, and we acknowledge that, but we believe that there has been a basis for thorough action, and that is what we have done, replies Schøyen. The investigation continues Although Hagen has now been cleared, the police emphasize that they are not finished investigating the disappearance of Anne-Elisabeth Hagen. – We are still working on investigative steps that we believe are considered relevant, says prosecutor Guro Holm-Hansen. The police say that there are still three accused in the case. – These are also continuously worked on to clarify the grounds for suspicion. The work will be sent to the higher prosecution for assessment when they have been completed for each of these, says prosecutor Guro Holm-Hansen. They also ask that people who may have information about the case contact them. MISSING: Anne-Elisabeth Hagen’s last known sign of life was in Sloraveien 4 on 31 October 2018. Here the house is photographed on 26 October 2023. Photo: PER SVEINUNG LARSEN / news/PRIVAT – Glad the investigation continues Svein Holden says that Hagen is happy that the police are continuing the investigation. The defense attorney says that Hagen and the family hope that the police will find the perpetrators. – What Tom Hagen and all of us are afraid of is that the focus that has been on him for large parts of the case has had consequences for the possibility of clarifying and finding those behind the disappearance. Legal aid not surprised Lawyer Gard Lier is legal aid for Anne-Elisabeth Hagen. – It is good that the matter has come to the point where you get some clarifications, says Lier to news. – It would have surprised me if the case had not been closed. Now this case has been investigated for almost six years and if no decisive evidence has been found against a person who has been charged, then it is absolutely right to drop the case. And I am not aware of any breakthroughs that would indicate otherwise, he continues. Lawyer Gard Lier is assistant lawyer for Anne-Elisabeth Hagen. Photo: Berit Roald / NTB Lier says he must try to start from what his client Anne-Elisabeth Hagen had wanted. – As I see it, she does not want any other interest in the case than that the guilty are caught, nor that the husband should be suspected of something he has not been found to have done. Her interest is that the case is cleared up and that the right people are held accountable. – Gross misjudgments Ståle Kihle is legal aid for the children of Tom and Anne-Elisabeth Hagen. He believes it was a gross misjudgment by the police that Hagen was charged at all more than four years ago. – Tom Hagen should never have been charged, arrested and imprisoned. Gross mistakes have been made on the part of the police, and gross misjudgments have been made on the part of the police, says Kihle. Ståle Kihle is legal aid for the children of Tom and Anne-Elisabeth Hagen. Photo: ISMAIL BURAK AKKAN / news He also believes that both the police and the media have committed a significant assault on the family. – Strictly speaking, in my opinion, there are significant abuses committed by both the police and the media, says Kihle. He demands an apology. The police believe she was killed One of the most talked about disappearance cases in Norwegian history began on 31 October 2018. Then Anne-Elisabeth Hagen (68) disappeared from her home in Lørenskog. The police believe that the 68-year-old woman was killed before she was taken away. She still hasn’t recovered. Her husband, Tom Hagen, is one of Norway’s richest people. He found a threatening letter in the couple’s home on the day the wife was reported missing. The sender claimed that Anne-Elisabeth Hagen had been abducted, and that she would only recover if the family paid the kidnappers 9 million euros in ransom. The ransom was to be paid in the cryptocurrency monero. The letter is later checked for DNA, fingerprints, print, paper, envelope, printer, linguistics. Secret investigation When Anne-Elisabeth Hagen disappeared, the police started a secret investigation into the case. They feared that the person or persons behind the disappearance would harm the 68-year-old woman. It was not until ten weeks later that the case became public knowledge. In January 2019. After this, the police also started an undercover investigation against her husband Tom Hagen. For almost a year he was surrounded by the police’s secret microphones and video camera. On the morning of 28 April 2020, he was arrested in a carefully planned police operation on his way to work. HAGEN’S CAR: The rescue service Viking towed away Tom Hagen’s car after the arrest at Fjellhamar on the morning of April 28, 2020. Photo: Julie Magnussen / Tipster Tom Hagen was charged with murder or complicity in the murder of his wife. He has always denied this. Now the Attorney General believes that he is innocent. In October of the same year, he appeared in an news interview. Here he answered questions about the murder charge, what the police believe is the motive, the marriage to Anne-Elisabeth, the arrest and the day of the disappearance. Published 18.10.2024, at 07.37 Updated 18.10.2024, at 15.40
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The Attorney General has now settled the case against Tom Hagen – Greater Oslo
