– There has been a hidden investigation in the case. It has been going on for several months in different batches, says Stian Kristensen to news. He is the defense attorney for the man in his 50s who is charged with the murder of Birgitte Tengs in May 1995. In October last year, Kristensen went out and talked about the suspicion of a covert investigation against the Karmøy man. Among other things, the accused is said to have installed large amounts of surveillance equipment at his home in Karmøy, because he felt persecuted. – We have been working from this hypothesis all along. We have now received that confirmation, says Kristensen. Stian Kristensen is one of two defenders for the man charged with the murder of Birgitte Tengs in 1995. Photo: Odin Omland / news The police have informed the defenders that they will receive the material that came out of the covert investigation in week 31. – We are coming to spend time going through it, says the defender. The police confirm The police confirm to news that the accused has been subject to a covert investigation. – But we do not want to comment on this further, says police attorney Fredrik Martin Soma to news. The police already had a DNA match in April 2019 on the man now accused. They have previously said that the reason they did not arrest the man in 2019 is that they wanted to make sure they had sufficient grounds for an arrest. The man was not arrested until 1 September 2021. This is a hidden investigation We have seen hidden investigations in connection with the investigation of Tom Hagen, among other things. A covert investigation means that the police use covert investigative methods to follow a person. Among other things, they can use telephone tapping, room tapping and to infiltrate the environment the person they are investigating is in. To get this, the prosecution must submit a petition to the court in which they justify why the conditions for the use of the methods are met. As a general rule, there must be a reason to suspect a criminal offense of a certain seriousness. In connection with the treatment of the prosecution’s request for a covert investigation, the court appoints a so-called shadow lawyer, about whom the suspect knows nothing. The trial is pre-scheduled for 31 October in Haugaland and Sunnhordland District Court. Photo: Ole Andreas Bø / news The lawyer is tasked with safeguarding the suspect’s interests, without coming into contact with the suspect. When the covert investigation eventually moves into an open phase, the police must disclose the use of covert methods if they wish to use the material they have collected. This they have now done. The trial is scheduled to begin on 31 October 2022, and will be heard in Haugaland and Sunnhordland District Court. More than three months have been set aside for the case. Working with new investigative steps Police attorney Fredrik Martin Soma. Photo: Josef Benoni Ness Tveit The police finished questioning the man at the end of June, and in that connection the defender and the accused put forward demands for new investigative steps. This concerns questioning of witnesses and certain other investigations. – The police are still working on this, says police attorney Fredrik Martin Soma to news. The police do not want to say anything about what impact the new investigative steps will have on the progress plan. – But we are in the final phase of the investigation. We believe that the plan for the pre-arranged trial will not be affected, says Soma.
ttn-69
The police have conducted a covert investigation against the accused in the Birgitte Tengs case – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
