The police opened an investigation against former Stavanger mayor Sissel Knutsen Hegdal on 18 September. The case concerned four transactions: Dinner bill just before the municipal election last year. Dinner bill on election night itself last year. Cash withdrawal of NOK 5,000. Gift of NOK 3,900. The amounts total NOK 20,400. – The police have questioned suspect Sissel Knutsen Hegdal, and we have concluded that there is no basis to proceed with the case, and are closing it depending on the state of the evidence, says police attorney Rune Gjertsen. The police justify their decision with the fact that there is a very strict evidentiary requirement for conviction in criminal cases. The prosecuting authority must only bring charges where it is convinced that guilt can be proven both for the act itself and the claim of guilt. – The public prosecutor’s office must use the same evidence threshold for its assessment of charges as the court does for its assessment of conviction, says Gjertsen. Apart from this, the police have no further comments. This has happened in the mayor case Stavanger’s mayor Sissel Knutsen Hegdal (H) resigned after using party funds on private expenses. She repaid the amount, but the matter is under police investigation. Sissel Knutsen Hegdal used Høyre’s party funds for private expenses on at least nine occasions before she became mayor. Sissel Knutsen Hegdal (H) becomes mayor of Stavanger. She takes over from current Minister of Education Kari Nessa Nordtun (Ap). Photo: Ingvild Taranger / news An internal review of the accounts for 2023 reveals the misuse of party funds. The mayor announces in an interview with Stavanger Aftenblad that she is resigning. Hegdal admits to having used around NOK 51,000 for private purposes. She pays back the amount. The police receive documentation from the Conservative Party and open a case to assess whether there are grounds for investigating Hegdal. Hegdal resigns from the Conservative Party, but the city council in Stavanger is still considering her application for exemption from the office of mayor. The case concerns four transactions totaling NOK 20,400. The lawyer says she has not spent money that harms the party on purpose. She denies criminal guilt. Photo: Erlend Handeland Tuastad / news The municipal director has decided not to grant Knutsen Hegdal’s exemption application, but it is Stavanger city council that has the last word. Several cooperative parties say they will not approve Knutsen Hegdal’s exemption application. According to §7-9 of the Local Government Act, it is only when the office leads to “significant inconvenience” that the elected representative can be relieved from office. An emergency meeting is held in Stavanger, but no decision is made about Hegdal’s exemption. Several meetings are planned before the matter will be dealt with in the city council on 14 October Photo: Håkon Jonassen Norheim / news Sissel Knutsen Hegdal’s application was not good enough for the city council’s majority. – It is my assessment that it will be a disproportionate disadvantage for me to be in the position as the media pressure has developed, she says. That could lead to her having to resign as mayor. Photo: Øystein Otterdal / news Sissel Knutsen Hegdal resigns as mayor of Stavanger. – The exemption has been unanimously adopted, says deputy mayor Henrik Halleland. Tormod Losnedal (H) has been elected as the new mayor of the city. Photo: Maja Mathisen / news The police investigation against Sissel Knutsen Hegdal is finished. The police have dropped the case against the former mayor. Show more Misused party funds Knutsen Hegdal announced on 4 September that she would resign after admitting to having misused party funds for private consumption. The money spent totaled NOK 51,148. These have been refunded. The case against Sissel Knutsen Hegdal concerns the following transactions on 16 January 2023: Online shopping with Klarna. Incorrect use of the city council group’s card on four occasions on the same day. A total of NOK 8,813. 18 February 2023: Purchase of a plane ticket from Stavanger to Alicante. The reason for the purchase was that Sissel Knutsen Hegdal had to buy a new ticket in connection with Erna Solberg’s visit to Stavanger. The travel bill lacks documentation documenting that a new plane ticket purchased with the city council group’s payment card compensates for a private outlay for the original trip. A total of NOK 4,901. 21 April 2023: Flight ticket to Oslo without documentation of a work-related agreement in Oslo. A total of NOK 3,479. 4 May 2023: Withdrawal of cash without documentation. A total of NOK 5,000. 13 June 2023: The city council group’s card was used to pay for a gift to a party member, at the same time that a fundraiser had taken place via Spleis for the same gift. A total of NOK 3,900. 26–27 September 2023: Tickets to Utopia and purchase of eight festival passes. Five of the festival passes were for Conservative Party politicians and entourages and were approved, but the other three festival passes for family members were not. The amount to be repaid totals NOK 11,996. 9 September 2023: Dinner with the family at Restaurant Vaar as a conclusion to the election campaign. A total of NOK 7,500. 13 September 2023: Dinner at Restaurant Harry Pepper on election day with spouse and a couple of friends. A total of NOK 4,000. 18 September 2023: Purchase of a plane ticket from Oslo to Stavanger to a person with no formal connection to the Conservative Party. A total of NOK 1,559. All amounts have been refunded. In total, we are talking about NOK 51,148. Source: Press release from Høyre On 14 October it became clear that she was allowed to resign. Tormod Losnedal (H) is the new mayor of Stavanger. Published 25/10/2024, at 09.02 Updated 25.10.2024, at 09.20
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The police have dropped the case against former Stavanger mayor Sissel Knutsen Hegdal – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
