Bergen billionaire Trond Mohn has filed for bankruptcy against businessman Roar Aarhaug. The background is a loan of NOK 15 million.
The bankruptcy petition will be heard in Trøndelag District Court on 20 February. For now, it is the last step in the legal drama that has followed the bankruptcies in the Hugaas group.
The background to the bankruptcy petition is loans and loan guarantees that Mohn’s private investment company Meteva has given to various companies in the Hugaas group for the construction of sports and activity halls.
In addition to a total claim of NOK 198 million against the companies, Meteva has also granted Aarhaug a personal loan of NOK 15 million which was to be used to secure operations in the Hugaas group. This is what is being sought to be recovered, explains Meteva’s legal representative Egil Horstad in Schjødt.
E24 has not been able to obtain a comment from Roar Aarhaug.
The collaboration on sports halls
Both Trønderbladet and Adresseavisen have previously discussed the conflict between Mohn and Aarhaug.
The collaboration between Mohn’s investment company Meteva and the Hugaas group must have started with the construction of a football hall on Karmøy in 2017, according to Trønderbladet.
After this, Meteva became a central creditor and partner for Aarhaug’s companies. The giant project Åsane Arena in Bergen was a joint project between the parties, but met major delays when Hugaas Entreprenør went bankrupt in 2020.
Later, several companies in the Hugaas group were to follow suit. Aarhaug has previously spoken to Trønderbladet about the collapse of bankruptcy in October last year:
– There was tremendous growth and 2018 was a complete disaster. We had managed to reverse the trend in 2019, where we were on the right track. Then came 2020. Then we had a project for Mohn, an athletics hall for which a contract had been signed. In June 2020, it was cancelled, a contract of 150 million. We had worked really hard on it, so it was the first shot in the arm. Maybe there were too many eggs in the basket, I was perhaps a little blinded, said Aarhaug.
– Sad
The fronts between the parties have been steep.
– We have achieved a lot, I know what we have done and what we can achieve, I know what resources I have around me. The only important thing now is to get out of this circus here. It costs so much energy. What is a shame is that when you have to spend your time fighting, there is little other development, Aarhaug told Trønderbladet about the conflict with Mohn.
It is sad that you have come to the point where you have to file personal bankruptcy, Horstad admits to E24.
– It is not a dream scenario, and has not been Meteva’s wish. But at one point or another you have to collect the loan and the security that is there, says Horstad to E24.
Trond Mohn has not responded to E24’s inquiries in the matter.
