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A 34-year-old Norwegian-Pakistani businessman has been indicted under the so-called “mafia clause” for organized fraud of crown funds. This is now confirmed by the police to Dagbladet.
– The reason we accuse you of organized crime is a combination of the interactions between various actors and the organized implementation of the crimes, says Rune Skjold, head of the financial investigation and specialized letters section in Oslo to Dagbladet.
SUSPECTED WASHING: We see links to money laundering from other criminal matters. We see that there are structures that are rigged for money laundering and fraud, long before the pandemic, says Rune Skjold of the Oslo police. Photo: Fredrik Hagen / NTB
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Dagbladet has previously written about an extensive network of convicted criminals and businessmen who were accused of cheating with crown funds.
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11 companies
Dagbladet later wrote that the man was charged with crown fraud through his own holding company of approximately NOK 400,000, and for having defrauded the NOK 100,000 unemployment benefit plan.
Now the police have greatly expanded the charge:
The 34-year-old is now accused of having used 11 companies to defraud the state for a total of 16.8 million crowns.
The total sum is applied to the salary compensation, which was supposed to make up the first period of payment of wages of companies and employees after layoffs due to crown outbreak.
Potentially, it was possible to receive 42,141 per salary ratio (18 days with a salary equivalent to 6G). The schema is managed by Nav.
The man is said to have applied for support for 430 positions, using 370 different identities, giving a possible support amount of more than 18 million NOK.
NOK 9 million were paid. 7.8 million were detained before they were paid, says Skjold.
– Incorrect
The man’s defender, attorney Usama Ahmad, tells Dagbladet that several of the police allegations are not true.
NEWSPAPER CLAIMS: – The man is clear that both the scope and the accusation of fraud on such a scale do not imply correction and therefore he hopes that his relationship will be handed over and clarified around this, says lawyer Usama Ahmad to Dagbladet. Photo: Øistein Norum Monsen / Dagbladet
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– Will give an explanation as notified by the prosecution in early March when the charge has been reviewed and we have now received extensive documents that we will review. In this questioning you will explain your relationship with these companies. However, he is aware that both the scope and the accusation of fraud on such a scale do not imply correction and therefore hopes that his case will be cleared up and clarified, Ahmad tells Dagbladet.
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When asked about his relationship with the companies and others involved, the lawyer answers the following:
– At present, you do not want to say anything about your relationship with others in relation to the case. Until this, he does not want to comment on the case for the sake of the investigation, says Ahmad.
He broke the law: He may have received 60 crown mills.
Used familiar names
Dagbladet has previously written that the man and his network have used the identities of several famous people, including Oslo Police Deputy Chief Sveinung Sponheim. Dead people have also been used.
– We assume they have used a combination of random identities and people they have met before, says Skjold.
Close the trade – received crown support
Dagbladet has previously written that police believe they have found an existing professional money laundering ring in the investigation.
60 million
In one of the companies, the police have discovered more than 60 million crowns that they suppose come from criminal acts, Dagbladet experiences. Here only a small part of the sum comes from suspected crown traps. The rest of the sums come from other criminal matters, police believe.
– It is too early for us to comment on this, but it is true that we see links to money laundering from other criminal matters. We see that there are structures that are rigged for money laundering and fraud, long before the pandemic, says Skjold.
Harder punishment for cheating with crown
Before Christmas, Dagbladet wrote that Økokrim suspects that organized criminals have obtained a larger slice of the crown support cake.
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Oslo police later said that more than 13 million Navs in support of the crown may have flowed directly into a money laundering ring of criminals and serial merchants.
“We see pure money laundering factories, where routines have been established for how criminals launder money,” police attorney Helge Vigerust told Dagbladet at the time.
New report: Ecocrime sounds coronamafia alarm
Dagbladet is aware that the Oslo police and Økokrim have charged a total of eight people, who in one way or another may be linked to the same network. More people are suspected of having participated in the fraud.
At the center of the network is the Norwegian-Pakistani businessman, according to police. According to a ruling, he was previously involved in evading funds from a bankrupt estate.
Gang related
The 11 companies that have been abused have ties to several high-profile convicted individuals. Among other things, a person with a known gang-related connection and a person who has been behind multiple bankruptcies.
Several previously convicted individuals are also involved in the companies
Police believe money laundering is taking place in this building
The network is now under investigation by both the Oslo police and Økokrim.
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– While Økokrim has investigated the withdrawal boards, the Oslo police have investigated the guilty board, says Skjold.
Dagbladet has previously written that police are now investigating more than 50 cases of suspected corona support cheating. Ecocrime has estimated that 60 percent of the cases refer to abuse of the so-called wage compensation scheme. To date, more than NOK 8 billion in salary compensation has been paid to 74,000 companies for 393,000 employees.
