Thursday, July 21, 2016

Mæland gave top positions to former government colleague – Bergens Tidende

Industry Minister Monica Mæland (H) may have been incompetent when she appointed former Minister of Culture Thorhild Widvey (H) as new chairman of Statkraft, says law professor.

NRK writes Thursday night that economics minister Monica Mæland may have violated the law when she gave Chairman of the Board of Statkraft to Thorhild Widvey.

29. June this year appointed Mæland party trap Thorhild Widvey new chairman of Statkraft. Control Referred is one of the highest paid state controls, with an annual honor at 484.000 million.

Olav Fjell, who has served as chairman since 2012, says to NRK that he had no desire to go by, but was removed by the Minister of industry. Stated reason was that Mæland wanted a chairman with a different profile.



Law Professor critical

From 2013 until Christmas was Widwey Culture and colleague with Mæland in government. According to several people who are close to both of them, both inside and outside Right-environment, the two seen as good friends, according to NRK. Widwey even says to NRK that she and Mæland has been a close relationship for many years together in politics.

Industry Minister believes she was not prejudiced as Mountain was replaced.

– This is not a relationship covered by the Public administration Act for impartiality. Nor is near the limit of it. If I have any doubts about it, so it is common to contact the Law Department in the Ministry of Justice. Such doubt was not in this case, and therefore they have not been contacted, said Mæland NRK.

Law Professor Beate Sjåfjell at the University of Oslo is one of Norway’s foremost experts on state ownership. She is critical of the procedure in the case.

– Mæland should certainly ensured a closer impartiality assessment before she did this. If she and Widwey has a close personal relationship, I think Mæland is incompetent and probably should not made the appointment, she says to NRK.





Rejects incapacity

When BT Thursday night tried to get in touch with Minister of Industry, Referrals MÆLAND advisor, Camilla Strandskog to a press release on government Web sites. It says that the Ministry has concluded that there was not a disqualification challenge when Widvey was appointed as the new chairman of Statkraft.

– I have made judgments about impartiality together with staff of the Ministry. For questions concerning this assessment would Legislation Department in the Ministry of Justice has been contacted. It was not in this case, says economics minister Monica Mæland in the press release.

She refuses to continue that relationship with Widwey violates Administration Act for impartiality.

– My relationship is not even in near break them. We have a colleague relationships and party affiliation for several years, said Minister of Industry.



Requesting explanation

Leader SCSCA in Parliament, Martin Kolberg (Ap), asking Mæland explain about appointment.

– Both confirms the obvious that they are close friends, and then it would have been the orderly and proper that the minister checked his impartiality, and took the matter with the Law Department, says Kolberg told NRK.

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