Norway Daily No. 243/02
Historical archive
Published under: Bondevik's 2nd Government
Publisher: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
News story | Date: 23/12/2002 | Last updated: 11/11/2006
The Royal Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Oslo
Press Division
Norway Daily No. 243
Date: 23 December 2002
Tore Tønne found dead (Aftenposten/Sunday)
Former Health Minister Tore Tønne was found dead yesterday.
Close friends, the police and officers of the National Authority
for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental
Crime had been searching for Mr Tønne for 24 hours. Mr Tønne was
found near his car, which was parked in a lay-by at Skaret near
Søllihøgda. According to the police, no one else was involved in Mr
Tønne’s death. Mr Tønne had been under formidable pressure after it
became known that he had received salary payments from the Storting
after resigning as Health Minister, at the same time as he was
working on behalf of Kjell Inge Røkke. The National Authority for
Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime
had initiated an investigation into the affair and, from what
Aftenposten is given to understand, had informed Mr Tønne of their
preliminary conclusion on Friday afternoon.
Our worst nightmare (Dagbladet)
For the officers of the National Authority for Investigation
and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime their worst
nightmare is that the person they are investigating should commit
suicide. "It is our worst nightmare in an investigation. We know
from experience that the pressure on the person being investigated
and their immediate family is enormous. We see this particularly in
our investigations of financial irregularities. Sometimes we fear
that the strain will be too great, and we do not have the apparatus
to deal with such situations," said Erling Grimstad, head of the
National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic
and Environmental Crime.
Press blamed for Tønne’s death (Dagens Næringsliv)
According to Jens Ulltveit-Moe, president of the
Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO), "The
tabloid press killed Tore Tønne". The media’s relentless pursuit of
the man who had been his close friend, has made the president of
the NHO question whether he himself can bear to hold a
controversial public office. John Olav Egeland, editor-in-chief of
Dagbladet, has refused to enter into a debate with Mr Ulltveit-Moe.
It was Dagbladet which first broke the story.
Media calls for investigation into media’s role (Aftenposten)
Per Edgar Kokkvold, secretary general of the Norwegian Press
Association, has called for the media’s role in the Tønne affair to
be investigated from an ethical point of view by independent media
experts. "We will carry out a review of the media’s role. I think
that is a natural thing to do in a case like this. For who is to
watch the watchdogs? It is certainly important that we look at our
own role with critical eyes," said Mr Kokkvold.
People’s choice (Dagsavisen)
A government made up of the Labour Party, Socialist Left
Party and Centre Party would be more popular than the current
government, according to a recent opinion poll. 43 per cent of
those questioned would prefer to see the country run by a
centre-left alliance, while today’s government has the backing of
33 per cent. 24 per cent either had no opinion, or preferred
another alternative. The Progress Party is the only party whose
voters are divided in their view of which government alternative is
the best. As many as one Progress Party voter in five prefers a
government made up of the centre-left parties rather than the
Bondevik government which the party itself helped to bring to power
and has saved from extinction several times.
The people don’t trust you, Kjell Magne (Dagbladet/Sunday)
Only 32 per cent of the Norwegian people have faith in the
sitting government. That is exactly half as many as those who said
they had faith in the first Bondevik government in 1997. Not even
the Stoltenberg government had as little popular support as the
ruling coalition government. "This is not surprising. People are
tired of minority governments. They do not understand the games it
is necessary for a minority government to play in the Storting,"
said political scientist and commentator Frank Aarebrot.
Investors queue up to build prisons (Aftenposten)
In financial circles building prisons is seen as a growth
industry, with the state as a rock solid tenant. Several investors
have signalled their interest in building new prisons. 2,600 people
are currently waiting to serve their sentences in Norway, which
means the demand for prison cells is enormous. And the Ministry of
Justice is keen to welcome private investors. "We are generally
positive to private initiative in the prison sector," report
Ministry officials. In Alta, a privately built prison costing
around NOK 150 million is now in the planning stage. The financing
is thought to be in order.
Local history and ethical debate (Dagsavisen/Sunday)
While the bosses at the radio station P4 are preparing to
appeal against Cultural Affairs Minister Valgerd Svarstad
Haugland’s decision not to renew its broadcasting licence, their
successful rivals at Kanal4 are busy planning how they will use the
Minister’s pre-Christmas present. Kanal4’s licence application
contained examples of a number of different radio programmes,
including details about each programme’s name, contents and
scheduling. Kanal4 plans to fill its programming with weighty
analyses, local history and ethical/religious debates.
Norwegian companies could get surprise visit from Brussels (Aftenposten)
Following a decision by the Storting in the last week before
Christmas, the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) in Brussels could
turn up unannounced at privately and publicly owned companies to
check that the EEA Agreement’s rules on state subsidies are being
abided by, or to secure evidence in cases concerning state
subsidies. The ESA now has the same rights that the Norwegian
Competition Authority has in anti-trust cases.
Norwegians fill up their piggy banks (Dagsavisen/Sunday)
Norwegians have more money to spare than ever before.
Uncertain times have turned us into hoarders. In the past two years
bank customers have increased their average level of deposits from
NOK 30,000 to NOK 40,000, according to recent figures. "Savings in
bank deposits will grow by 11-12 per cent," said Kalle Seip of the
Norwegian Savings Banks’ Association.
Worth Noting
- Law professor Carl August Fleischer doubts whether Tore Tønne
was guilty of any punishable offence in connection with receipts of
"waiting pay" after his resignation as Health Minister and his
success fee from Kjell Inge Røkke.
(Dagens Næringsliv) - "Tore Tønne was a public spirited man. He leaves behind a
colossal contribution to Norwegian society. Tore’s loss is a
tragedy," said Labour leader Jens Stoltenberg.
(Dagsavisen/Sunday) - Tore Tønne believed he was innocent, but he feared that no one
would believe him. He chose not to defend himself against the
charges brought against him by the National Authority for
Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime.
(Verdens Gang) - According to Rune Brynhildsen, chief executive of the radio
station P4, his company’s broadcasting licence was grabbed by
Kanal4 as a result of "dirty tricks". The Progress Party has called
for the Storting to investigate Mr Brynhildsen’s allegations.
Emotions ran high at P4 after yesterday’s decision by Cultural
Affairs Minister Valgerd Svarstad Haugland not to renew P4’s
broadcasting licence, but to award it instead to Kanal4. "May she
burn in hell," exclaimed programme host Silje Stang, in a furious
reference to Ms Svarstad Haugland.
(Dagsavisen/Saturday) - A lengthy and expensive university-level education gave them
the perfect start to their careers. Then the jobs disappeared. The
young and the highly-educated are the new breed of unemployed
worker.
(Dagens Næringsliv/Saturday) - Sales of new homes is now as slow as during the collective
summer break. Since last autumn, the number of new home
developments in the south-eastern part of the country has risen
sharply, while sales have been cut in half.
(Aftenposten)
Today’s comment from Aftenposten
We do not believe that anyone in Norway remains unaffected by
Tore Tønne’s death. The brutal fact that such a public-spirited man
like Tore Tønne could not face living any longer with the suspicion
of dishonesty hanging over him is unavoidably a cause for long and
hard reflection. The many people who directly or indirectly have
allowed themselves to become involved in what, during the course of
three short weeks, has become known as the "Tønne case" should also
take the time to reflect on events. And that, of course, also
applies to us in the media. It is therefore wise of the Norwegian
Press Association to give notice at this early stage that it will
be looking into the media’s role in the affair. It is not certain
that an investigation will conclude that the media coverage of this
particular case represents a breach of press ethics. But perhaps it
can set out for us a number of important issues at the intersection
between the media’s clear duty to uncover improprieties and the
consideration that is due to those who become the focus for
investigative and critical journalism. We believe that the National
Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and
Environmental Crime is also taking time out to consider its role.
Today Tore Tønne’s fate leaves more questions than answers. Some of
those questions will forever remain unanswered. But that is no
excuse for not reflecting over what this case tells us and what we
have to learn from it. That process, too, will be an important
factor in determining how Tore Tønne will be remembered by
posterity.
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The editors of Norway Daily wish their readers all the best for this holiday season. Our next edition will be published on 2 January 2003.