Mæland turns – still asks about impartiality assessment – Aftenposten

The two are party colleagues and assembled in government when Widwey was culture minister between 2013 and 2015.

– I still believe my relationship with Widwey not a relationship that breaks administration Act for impartiality. However, there has been much attention paid to the question of my impartiality. To avoid creating further uncertainty about the company I would therefore ask the Law Department to do a review of my impartiality associated with the choice of Widwey, says Minister of Industry said in a statement Friday.

Food Minister Monica Mæland gave well-paid government boards to close party colleague

– she should have done it in advance

First rejected Mæland that it was necessary to ask the legal department of an impartiality review, before she turned and now still asking for such a review.

it raises questions about Mæland both ought requested such an assessment in advance of the party her friend got the lucrative directorships and whether Administration allows for such an assessment afterwards.

– Yes to both questions, answers law professor at the University Oslo, Erik Boe.

– she should have done it in advance, but she can also make it in retrospect, he says to Aftenposten.

Impartiality provisions of the Public Administration imposes on the possible is incompetent to self assess their impartiality.

– She has dealt with this and taken a position, and basically it’s okay. There is no obligation to ask the Law Department or others, says Boe.

– But why I also answer yes to question whether she should be asked such an assessment in advance, is that it is wise to take this with colleagues, and there are extra prudent to use the law Department in the Ministry of Justice, which has proficiency in such matters, says Boe.

review

Faced NRK was law Professor Beate Sjåfjell at the University of Oslo Thursday critical of the procedure in the case.

She believes Mæland may have been incompetent and should have ensured a disqualification assessment.

– 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, stated Mæland in a statement after the NRK interview.

Explanation

Martin Kolberg (Labor) asked Minister of Industry to explain themselves on 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, who is the leader in SCSCA in Parliament, NRK.

three weeks ago, was Olav Fjell replaced by Widwey chairman of Statkraft. According to NRK did not want Mountains even resign.

For the channel, he says that industry minister justification was that she wanted a chairman with a “different profile.”

According Mæland stood all directors in Statkraft election.

– Incompetent in individual cases

Also Widwey prompted impartiality in connection with the new appointment.

Dagens Næringsliv writes that Widvey husband, Oswald Magne Bjelland, is the general manager and the consulting firm Xynteo, who has collaborated with Statkraft in several projects.

These are either completed or nearing completion, according to Statkraft.

Law Professor Sjåfjell told the newspaper that Widwey will be disqualified from participating in cases involving Xynteo.

– basically it’s not a problem that some directors are married to someone who is working with the company. But in all cases the board where this company in any way come in, so will Thorhild Widvey be incompetent on the board, she said.

Widwey replies that she will ensure that conflicts of interest do not arise.

State ownership and responsibility | Monica Mæland economics minister (H) Only one minister has asked impartiality Rating