Sunnmøre Man Indicted for Large-Scale COVID-19 Relief Fraud
Ålesund, Norway – A man from the Sunnmøre region of Norway has been formally indicted on charges of defrauding the government of approximately NOK 2.5 million (roughly $235,000 USD) in COVID-19 relief funds, according to a report by NRK, Norway’s public broadcasting company.
The indictment alleges that the man, acting on behalf of a local sports club, submitted false applications for financial support to both the county council and the Lottery and Foundation Authority. These applications falsely claimed a large membership base and a significant number of canceled events. Through these deceptive practices, the club illicitly received NOK 1.1 million in aid.
The charges extend beyond the sports club applications. The man is also accused of providing inaccurate information regarding his personal income and employment status to secure substantial loans from two separate banks.
further compounding the alleged offenses, the man is charged with document forgery related to a fabricated bid to host a World Cup event at the club’s facilities.He allegedly presented falsified documents to the county council, falsely asserting that the club had been awarded the championship, had secured a sports hall for the event, and had already received financial commitments from various players.
Marianne Alværen torset, a senior advisor, explained the situation in a statement to NRK: “These were trust-based schemes in crisis time, and the money was going out quickly. Controls were set up afterwards, and we now have, in good cooperation with the police, followed up on this.”
The case is scheduled to be heard in Sunnmøre District Court on December 1st and 2nd. The man’s defense attorney, Torgeir Hovland Langva, has declined to comment on whether his client intends to plead guilty to the charges.
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