Officer under suspension due to claims of spywork linked to 2012 Landsbanki case scandal
A Cop Caught Spying in Reykjavik
In the heart of Iceland's capital, a policeman has been benched after a whiff of espionage encouraged by payment surfaced. The state prosecutor is delving into the situation, dating back to 2012.
According to RÚV, the cop was spotted snooping on individuals at their homes and workplaces, amassing personal information - all while donning the uniform of the law.
Suspicions of a Magnate's Underhanded Dealings
This scandal intertwines with allegations that a titan of industry, going by the name of Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson, financed a covert operation aimed at monitoring individuals involved in a lawsuit resulting from Landsbanki's 2008 collapse, where he held the largest stake. The suspicion? Unmasking businessman Róbert Wessman, the suspected mastermind behind the class action lawsuit.
This juicy bit of info made headlines on Kveikur's investigative news program, which aired yesterday on RÚV. The report relies on audio recordings and documents suggesting that Björgólfsson's close associate, lawyer Birgir Már Ragnarsson, acted as a go-between with a private security firm, PPPSF.
The company deployed to carry out the snooping was, it seems, founded by two ex-cops. Their names are Jón Óttar Ólafsson, a criminologist, and Guðmundur Haukur Gunnarsson, a lawyer. Both used to work for the Office of the Special Prosecutor. In the past, they were implicated in stealing data from that office, but the charges against them were dropped.
The Spy Firm Behind the Operation
PPPSF, the brainchild of these two ex-cops, was the one orchestrating the covert operations. They tracked former Landsbanki shareholders from September to December 2012. Their snooping techniques included hidden cameras, audio devices, and even attempts to snap photos of Róbert Wessman with individuals connected to the lawsuit. It appears they even documented his children's medical visits.
The Reykjavik officer, Lúðvík Kristinsson, is rumored to have played a substantial role in the operation, clocking approximately 60 hours of snooping while officially on police duty.
Targets: Politicians, Lawyers, and More
The operation zeroed in on high-profile individuals, such as future MP Vilhjálmur Bjarnason, lawyer Ólafur Kristinsson, and Supreme Court attorney Jóhannes Bjarni Björnsson.
A recording from the Novator offices - believed to be linked to Björgólfsson - supposedly confirms Birgir Már Ragnarsson as the one who brokered the deal with PPPSF. According to Kveikur, the firm racked up around 850 hours of snooping in just three months.
- The investigative report on Kveikur's news program revealed that billionaire Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson is accused of financing an undercover operation, where his close associate, lawyer Birgir Már Ragnarsson, allegedly acted as a go-between with a private security firm, PPPSF, to monitor individuals involved in a lawsuit linked to Landsbanki's 2008 collapse.
- The operation, carried out by PPPSF, targeted high-profile individuals such as MP Vilhjálmur Bjarnason, lawyer Ólafur Kristinsson, Supreme Court attorney Jóhannes Bjarni Björnsson, and businessman Róbert Wessman, the suspected mastermind behind the class action lawsuit.
- According to the report, Guðmundur Haukur Gunnarsson, a lawyer and co-founder of PPPSF, was implicated in stealing data from the Office of the Special Prosecutor in the past, but charges against him were dropped.
- The Reykjavik police officer, Lúðvík Kristinsson, was reportedly part of the operation orchestrated by PPPSF, amassing personal information and spying on individuals, including Róbert Wessman's children's medical visits, while donning the uniform of the law.
