Finance Credit was a Norwegian company that went bankrupt in 2002, after facing criminal investigation for siphoning funds (in total 1,4 billion NOK) it borrowed from six Norwegian banks to offshore tax havens,[1] in what became known as the Finance Credit scandal, arguably the biggest economic fraud in Norwegian history. The company was founded by Torgeir Stensrud and Trond Kristoffersen, who were in 2005 convicted on charges of fraud to 7 and 9 years in prison, respectively. Stensrud and Kristoffersen were also both fined about 100 million €.[citation needed]
Trond Kristoffersen
editTrond Kristoffersen (13 August 1956 – August 2013) was co-founder of the Finance Credit.
He was born in Hammerfest. In 2003, he was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 9 years in prison.[2] He was also fined 1,2 billion NOK (ca. €100 million), and subsequently went personally bankrupt. He was also barred from engaging in any independent form of trade, as well as from holding senior or board positions in any companies, for life.
He was incarcerated in Ullersmo prison from 2007, after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, and was serving the rest of his 9-year prison sentence.[3] After six years in jail he was released after lodging an appeal. He died in August 2013.[4]
Torgeir Stensrud
editTorgeir Stensrud (July 1, 1949 – September 27, 2015)[5] was chairman of Finance Credit, a Norwegian former leader of Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers, and military officer. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison for his role in the Finance Credit fraud scheme and 2002 bankruptcy.[6][7]
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ Fraud fears mount in Finance Credit scandal - Aftenposten.no Archived 2005-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ex-financier hit with record-long jail term - Aftenposten.no Archived 2005-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Norges største bedragerisak for retten på ny" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 4 November 2013.
- ^ "Death notice, page 28". Aftenposten. 30 September 2015.
- ^ Sunnanå, Magne (12 April 2007). "FINANCE CREDIT-KOLLAPSEN: Syv år for Stensrud, Borgarting lagmannsrett gir ikke Torgeir Stensrud strafferabatt etter Finance Credit-kollapsen" [FINANCE CREDIT COLLAPSE: Seven years for Stensrud, Borgarting Court of Appeal does not cut penalty for Torgeir Stensrud after collapse of Finance Credit]. E24. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
- ^ "KPMG reddet Stensrud: FC-gründer Torgeir Stensrud ble våren 1999 reddet av revisorgiganten KPMG" [KPMG rescued Stensrud: FC-founder Torgeir Stensrud was rescued in Spring 1999 by auditor giant KPMG]. DN.no (DN nye medier AS). 2 March 2004. Retrieved 5 November 2012.