In total, the police believe that the case may include disbursed loan amounts of more than NOK 100 million.
The case became known when the police went to a coordinated action against three men on Wednesday 6 April. Since then, another man has been arrested and remanded in custody in the case.
– We have done a lot since the action that for tactical reasons I can not say anything about. We are still in an early phase, and there is a lot of work associated with such a large case, says police attorney Jørn Johannessen Lyche in the Eastern police district to TV 2.
Three different roles
One month after the operation, he can still say a little more about how the police believe that the corruption took place.
Police attorney Lyche believes that those involved can be divided into three categories.
– There are customers who pay a bribe, then there are intermediaries who receive the bribe and connect the customer to a bank employee, also it is the bank employees who receive bribes to manipulate loan applications, he says.
– How many customers are we talking about?
– That is the big question. In the initial phase, we said that it was a total of over 10 million kroner. As the case has developed, we see that we can get into a situation where we raise 100 million, says Lyche.
Of those who have so far been imprisoned in the case, there are two bank employees and two intermediaries, as the police see it.
– Seen in connection with the scope and complexity of the case, it is also completely open that there may be more arrests, he says.
The two bank employees work in a bank in Oslo. TV 2 has been in contact with the bank, which states that they cooperate well with the police. That confirms Lyche.
– We have a dialogue with the bank with a view to investigation, and I think we have a good collaboration, he says.
Denies criminal guilt
All four who are in custody have been imprisoned due to the risk of evidence being lost.
“Even though several people were imprisoned several weeks ago, there is reason to believe that others may also be involved,” the Borgarting Court of Appeal writes about the man who was arrested on 28 April.
“The police therefore need to map the network without the accused being given the opportunity to notify any others involved, or give them the opportunity to adapt and coordinate their explanations,” the court further writes.
“The police also need time to secure traces and values in cryptocurrencies and to review digital storage media, without the accused being given the opportunity to forfeit these.”
– REJECTED APPEAL: The man in his 30s appealed the imprisonment to the Borgarting Court of Appeal, but did not succeed. Photo: Frode Sunde / TV 2
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The man, who the police believe has operated as an intermediary, denies criminal guilt and has explained himself to the police. His defender, lawyer Fredrik Berg, does not want to comment on the case.
Hoping for clarification
The three men who were arrested a month ago are still in custody.
Lawyer Christian Flemmen Johansen, who defends one of the bank employees, says that his client experiences the custody stay as a great burden.
– The case is extensive, and I understand it to the point that the police have initiated a major investigation. Things therefore necessarily take some time, but we still hope for a quick clarification about my client’s role and the way forward.
– What do you think about the fact that according to the police it could be over 100 million kroner?
– I note the amount, but at the moment do not want to have any opinion about it, other than that it appears very high, he says.
The other bank employee’s defender, lawyer Inam Ghous Ali, did not want to comment on the case. Nor does lawyer Usama Ahmed, who defends the fourth man.
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