On Tuesday morning, just over 8 o’clock, civilian-clad police entered Nordea’s head office at Majorstuen in Oslo, according to VG.
To the newspaper, police attorney Kristin Rusdal says that a total of five people have been arrested. Among them are two people employed by Nordea, and the campaign has targeted more than ten addresses in the Oslo area.
Nordea’s communications director, Christian Steffensen, confirms to TV 2 that two employees of the bank have been arrested.
Two employees suspended
– We can confirm that two employees of the bank have been arrested. This is happening on the basis of conditions that have been uncovered internally, and which have led us earlier this year to report the findings to the police, Steffensen tells TV 2.
He explains that the circumstances that have been uncovered may indicate a breach of the rules and are related to lending money.
– We look at this with the utmost seriousness, and we have an ongoing dialogue with the police about the case. Nordea has zero tolerance for breaches of the rules and takes all necessary steps towards the two employees. Initially, the two employees are suspended, says the communications director.
Discussed loans against payment
The police have the same morning raided several private addresses, in what is to be a larger coordinated action involving over 50 police officers.
The arrested are charged with gross corruption or complicity in gross corruption.
In a hidden recording, a loan agent talks about that he can get any loan from the bank, for a cash payment of several hundred thousand kroner.
– The basis for suspicion is that they are connected to loan applications that are based on falsified documentation to Nordea, Rusdal says to VG.
Tags: bank employees arrested gross corruption
