Officer under investigation for spying suspicions linked to the Landsbanki case in 2012, facing temporary suspension from duty.
A Traffic Cop Caught Spying
In a shocking turn of events, a traffic warden from the Reykjavik Metropolitan Police was recently suspended after evidence surfaced, suggesting he was involved in espionage for money, all while on the job. The probe is currently being handled by the state prosecutor, delving back to 2012.
As per RÚV, this officer was found spying on individuals in their homes and workplaces, meticulously collecting personal information.
The Espionage, Backed by a Billionaire
This case is linked to allegations that business tycoon Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson, a former Landsbanki shareholder, funded a clandestine surveillance operation. The aim? To pinpoint individuals involved in a lawsuit that stemmed from Landsbanki's 2008 collapse, reportedly to find out if businessman Róbert Wessman was the mastermind behind it.
Investigative reporting by Kveikur disclosed audio recordings and documents backing this claim, asserting that Björgólfsson's close companion, lawyer Birgir Már Ragnarsson, served as a go-between with the private security firm, PPPSF.
The company operating this covert surveillance, PPPSF, was formed by former police officers - criminologist Jón Óttar Ólafsson and lawyer Guðmundur Haukur Gunnarsson, once employed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor. Although accused of selling stolen data from that office to a bankruptcy estate, the charges against them were ultimately dropped.
The Private Surveillance Firm at Work
PPPSF is the company suspected of carrying out the espionage. Founded by the aforementioned ex-police officers, they allegedly tracked former Landsbanki shareholders from September to December 2012. This covert operation included hidden cameras and audio devices, with attempts made to photograph Róbert Wessman with those linked to the lawsuit. Even Wessman's children's medical visits were reportedly documented.
The Reykjavik officer, Lúðvík Kristinsson, is alleged to have played a significant role, clocking in approximately 60 hours of surveillance during his police duty hours.
Targeting High-Profile Individuals
The surveillance operation focused on high-profile individuals, including future MP Vilhjálmur Bjarnason, lawyer Ólafur Kristinsson, and Supreme Court attorney Jóhannes Bjarni Björnsson.
A recording from the Novator offices - linked to Björgólfsson - supposedly confirms Birgir Már Ragnarsson as the one who structured the deal with PPPSF. According to Kveikur, the firm recorded about 850 hours of surveillance in just three months.
- The investigative reporting by Kveikur suggests that business tycoon Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson, a former Landsbanki shareholder, hired the private surveillance firm PPPSF to gather information on individuals involved in a lawsuit related to Landsbanki's 2008 collapse, specifically targeting businessman Robert Wessman.
- Guðmundur Haukur Gunnarsson, a former employee of the Office of the Special Prosecutor and one of the founders of PPPSF, is alleged to have been part of this covert surveillance operation.
- According to reports, PPPSF, which was founded by ex-police officers, including Gunnarsson, was responsible for the espionage case involving a traffic warden who was caught spying on individuals in their homes and workplaces.
- The general news outlet RÚV reported that Luðvík Kristinsson, a traffic warden from the Reykjavik Metropolitan Police, played a significant role in this espionage, reportedly working for PPPSF during his police duty hours.
