Five Tamils charged with multi-million kroner fraud

Oslo Courthouse prostitutes trialOslo Courthouse.Photo. Norway Today Media

Five Tamil men have been accused under the so-called ‘mafia paragraph’, for defrauding banks and finance houses, for many millions of kroner.

The five men must attend Oslo District Court on September 5 to face a trial scheduled to last 12 weeks.

Parts of the alleged fraud falls under section 60 of the Criminal Code, the so-called ‘mafia section’.

According to the accusation, police believe that the defendants have been paid a total of NOK 36.9 million in loans and credits by a number of banks, credit card companies and other financial institutions by stealing other people’s identities, reported Aftenposten newspaper.

Several of the men are also charged with VAT and invoice fraud.

The National Criminal Investigation Service , and the Tax Office received the first messages of concern in the autumn of 2014.

Eventually,the Economic Crime Division, and Nav, formed a comprehensive collaboration, and in October 2015, 220 people from the police, the tax administration, and Nav, took coordinated action in Oslo, Romerike, Drammen, and Nesodden to ensure evidence.

21 people were arrested and charged with large scale economic crimes. A year later, a total of 76 people have been charged in the case.

The five on trial in the long court case expected in Oslo District Court this autumn are considered to be chief suspects in the complex case, said prosecutor, Carl Fredrik Fari.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today