Officer under suspension due to accusations of espionage associated with the 2012 Landsbanki investigation
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Ex-Traffic Warden Under Investigation for Alleged Espionage
A traffic warden in Reykjavik is facing serious allegations of espionage, after evidence emerged suggesting he was spying on individuals for payment while on the job. The state prosecutor is currently investigating this case, which dates back to 2012.
According to RÚV, the officer was caught spying on people at their homes and workplaces, gathering personal information while serving as an active police officer. However, there's no explicit mention of a connection to any corporate or high-profile figures in the current reports.
Surveillance/Private Firm Link Unclear
The case has been linked to allegations involving billionaire Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson and a private surveillance operation targeted at individuals involved in a lawsuit stemming from the 2008 collapse of Landsbanki, where he was the largest shareholder. However, it's unclear whether the ex-traffic warden has any affiliations with the alleged operation or Björgólfsson.
The details of this operation came to light in the investigative news program Kveikur, which aired on RÚV yesterday. The program cites audio recordings and documents, indicating that Björgólfsson's close associate, lawyer Birgir Már Ragnarsson, acted as an intermediary with a potential private security firm, but the acronym PPPSF mentioned in the reports doesn't match any known organizations.
Former Police Officers Involved?
PPPSF, the firm behind the surveillance, was allegedly founded by former police officers Jón Óttar Ólafsson and Guðmundur Haukur Gunnarsson. Both have previously worked for the Office of the Special Prosecutor and were once accused of selling stolen data, though these charges were later dropped. However, there's no confirmed link between these officers, the surveillance operation, and the ex-traffic warden under investigation.
Targeted Individuals
The surveillance operation reportedly targeted high-profile individuals, including future MP Vilhjálmur Bjarnason, lawyer Ólafur Kristinsson, and Supreme Court attorney Jóhannes Bjarni Björnsson. If proven, these allegations could shake Iceland's political and legal communities.
Without further corroboration from law enforcement disclosures, corporate registries, or specialized investigative journalism, the ex-traffic warden's alleged connections to these events remain speculative. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
[1] Sources: mbl.is, RÚV, Kveikur[2] Unrelated mention: Hallgrímskirkja pickpocketing warning (mbl.is)[3] Unrelated mention: Iceland's whaling policies (mbl.is)
- Investigative journalism program Kveikur has revealed a potential connection between billionaire Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson and an alleged private surveillance operation, with lawyer Birgir Már Ragnarsson acting as an intermediary.
- The firm behind the suspected operation, PPPSF, is reportedly founded by former police officers Jón Óttar Ólafsson and Guðmundur Haukur Gunnarsson, who have a history of working for the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
- If the allegations are proven, the surveillance operation could potentially implicate high-profile individuals such as future MP Vilhjálmur Bjarnason, lawyer Ólafur Kristinsson, and Supreme Court attorney Jóhannes Bjarni Björnsson, causing a significant shakeup in Iceland's political and legal communities.
- The ex-traffic warden under investigation for espionage is yet to be definitively linked to either this private surveillance operation or the aforementioned individuals, nor has any confirmed evidence emerged connecting him to the billionaire Björgólfsson.
