Narcotics-dismissed guards have contacted Advokatfirmaet Elden – NRK Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
Last week, NRK was able to report that a total of 30 guardsmen have been fired from the Armed Forces after using drugs.
The case started when the police notified the Norwegian Defense Forces at the beginning of August. The background for the warning was a party, where participants, according to the head of the guard, had used what he refers to as “party drugs”.
Five of the guards who were dismissed last week are said to have attended the party.
Afterwards, the case was taken up internally at Garden. Then a further 25 guardsmen admitted to having used drugs after raids in January.
Now some of the 25 guards who admitted their own drug use have contacted the law firm Elden. John Christian Elden confirms this to NRK.
– We have been contacted by some of those who were dismissed, and will look into whether this was a correct measure on the part of the Armed Forces. The case is currently in an initial phase, so I don’t have much to say so far, writes Elden in an e-mail to NRK.
– Deep concern
The case is handled by lawyer Inger Zadig at the law firm Elden. Zadig says the case is in an initial phase, but tells NRK that it is correct that several of the guards who were dismissed are being assisted.
– Although it is too early to draw conclusions yet, there are aspects of the proceedings that give cause for deep concern, writes Zadig in an e-mail.
Zadig believes the graduation decisions are “very invasive, with major consequences for our clients”.
– The case, as it has been portrayed in the media so far, in no way coincides with what they have been exposed to.
– We are in the process of surveying the proceedings leading up to the dismissal decisions and the very basis for the dismissal very thoroughly, writes Zadig.
– Is in his full right
The armed forces have zero tolerance towards drugs. It was guard commander Trond Robert Forbregd who made the decision that the 30 guardsmen should graduate.
Forbregd told NRK last week that it was about “great women and men who have made a mistake” and “that it has a consequence”.
Forbregd has also said that none of the drug cases have been reported to the police.
NRK has been in contact with Brage Steinsson Wiik-Hansen, spokesman for the Norwegian Army, to get a comment on this case.
– If the conscripts who have been discharged wish to proceed with the case, they are fully entitled to do so. As of now, the Army has no further comment on the matter, says spokesman Brage Steinson Wiik-Hansen in the Army to NRK.
The Chief of Defense has requested an assessment
At the weekend, Chief of Defense Erik Kristoffersen was asked whether he agrees with the head of the guard’s decision to dismiss the guards. Kristoffersen then replied that he trusted the assessment of the head of the guard.
At the same time, the defense said that he has asked for an assessment “on what was behind the reaction, what actually happened and what information the guards received during the trial”.