Ex-journalist charged with gross fraud

Tricked: Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen (Left) with lawyer Harald Stabell. The latter supposedly was lured into paying large sums to treat a cancer diagnosis that Malthe-Sørenssen never had. Photo: NTB Scanpix

Ex-journalist charged with gross fraud

Former journalist and private investigator Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen has been charged with seven cases of gross fraud involving almost NOK seven million.

 

additionally, he is charged with four cases of falsifying documents, Økokrim states.

The former journalist was revealed of falsifying information about the Treholt case among other things by VG in a series of reports.

Now the 52-year-old man is accused of having swindled NOK 6.7 million on seven occasions between 2012 and 2015 among other crimes.

He met in Oslo district court on Thursday in order to acknowledge what he is charged with in a so-called confessional case.

According to TV 2, the judge rejected to accept this and Malthe-Sørenssen must therefore appear in a regular court case on a later date.

Surprised

One of the conditions of confidential case is that the accused gives an unreserved confession. That did not happen in this case, The Economic Crimes Unit (Økokrim) says to  VG.

– The judge halted the hearing because the statements made by the victim were not as unreserved as is required, says senior counselor in Økokrim, Håvard Kampen.

– My client has acknowledged culpability according to the indictment, defense lawyer Trygve Staff tells TV 2.

To VG, Staff says that both he and his client are surprised that there is no confessional verdict.

– Both we and the prosecutor feel that the terms are present. The judge is of a different opinion, says Staff.

Serious indictment

In 2013, he allegedly lured celebrity lawyer Harald Stabell to lend him NOK 500,000 on at least two occasions. The money was supposed to cover cancer treatment abroad; he however never suffered from cancer.

Stabell got the money back from Malthe-Sørenssen’s stepfather. According to the indictment, he is guilty of luring his stepfather to give him NOK 600,000 for the same fake cancer treatment. The stepfather was furthermore defrauded in the summer of 2015 after Malthe-Sørenssen acquired three consumer loans totaling NOK 745,000 in his name.

In the spring of 2015 he raised two loans in the Røros bank totaling NOK 4.8 million after presenting fake tax returns and salary slips.

Malthe-Sørenssen according to Dagbladet changed his name last year. The reason is supposedly threats from criminals.

The 52-year-old has previously worked for Budstikka, Dagbladet, Se og Hør, TV3 and Nettavisen. He has also worked as a freelancer for NRK Brennpunkt.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today