Sandberg must tell Parliament about lobbyist

Per Sandberg (Progress Party) Minister of Fisheries. Photo: Audun Braastad / NTB scanpix

Sandberg must respond to the Parliament about contact with lobbyist once more

The Parliament requires more answers from Minister of Fisheries, Per Sandberg (Progress Party) , regarding his contact with a lobbyist from the Norwegian Seafood Farmers’ Association (NSL).

 

The Control and Constitution Committee wants to know if Sandberg himself has given his private email address to the former communications manager Frode Reppe. Additionaly the Government Minister must answer if his state secretary Roy Angelvik shared stock exchange-sensitive information with Reppe three weeks before the information was made public.

The background for the questions is information Reppe has provided during the trial he has brought against NSL, which he claims has fired him on unjustified grounds.

Sandberg wanted sensitive information to his private email address, Reppe told Sør-Trøndelag District Court earlier this month.

Reppe was fired as a result of Dagbladet’s disclosure of the email communication with Minister Sandberg. Sandberg also testified during the trial. He said that it is above board that Reppe and others try to reach politicians via different channels.

Wants clarification

In October, the Control Committee asked for answers from Sandberg, but they are obviously not finished with the matter.

– It is necessary to clarify what has happened, and what has been the role of the Minister of Fisheries and also the role of the political leadership, it is stated in the letter from the Committee.

Sandberg has previously denied to Fiskeribladet that he has given his private email address to Reppe.

In October, he responded to the Control Committee as follows :

– There is no secret back door to me nor anyone in my political staff. Any communication that I receive that affects my work as a Government Minister is recorded, regardless of whether it comes by email or by other means, and regardless of which email address they may be received opn. This is also the case.

He also wrote that he can not guarantee that his private email address has not been given to certain actors.

Email sent to wrong address

It was Dagbladet who last year revealed Reppe’s contact with Sandberg. In an email that should have been sent to the Government Minister’s private email, he asked for his message to the Ministry of Climate and Environment should be communicated without it being traced back to NSL and the salmon industry. But Reppe used the wrong address and the email was sent to Sandberg’s Swedish namesake, who in turn contacted Dagbladet.

The background for the case is disagreement about the research on Norwegian salmon farming, forming the basis for the management of the industry.

 

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today