Today, PST has charged Laila Anita Bertheussen, the live-in partner of the Norwegian Minister of Justice and Public Security, with violation of section 225 letter b of the Penal Code - for having done something to raise suspicion that criminal act has been committed, when it has not.

The charges concern the fire that started on the night between Saturday and Sunday 10 March in the family car, which was parked outside the family´s residence in Oslo.

We suspect the charged person to have started the fire, thus giving the impression that the fire was started by one or more unknown perpetrators. 

This incident is seen in connection with previous threats against the Minister of Justice and his live-in partner, where the charged person may have caused the police to investigate this incident, as an escalation of the previous threats. PST will continue to investigate these former incidents as violations of section 115 and 263 of the Penal Code. Bertheussen is not charged with these incidents.

The investigation is in a preliminary phase, and Laila Bertheussen is currently being questioned by PST. The case will be investigated widely and with the aim of clarifying guilt as well as innocence. The offence can, under the circumstances, be punishable under several other penal provisions. It is too early to say whether there is reason to expand the charges. 

Today, Oslo District Court issued a warrant to search the charged person´s residence. The court thus finds that there are reasonable grounds to suspect Berhetussen of the offence with which she is charged. At present, PST does not find it necessary to submit an application for remanding the charged person in custody.

Section 225 - Accusation of a fictitious criminal act

A penalty of a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year shall be applied to any person who

a) reports a criminal act which has not been committed to the courts, the prosecuting authority or another public authority, or

b) raises suspicion that a criminal act has been committed, when it has not.

Section 115 - Attack on the activities of the highest state bodies

A penalty of imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years shall be applied to any person who by force, threats or other illegal means puts the King, the Regent, the Government, the Parliament, the Supreme Court or the Court of Impeachment, or a member of these institutions, at risk of being hindered or affected in their activities. 

Section 263 - Threats

Any person who by words or conduct threatens to engage in criminal conduct under such circumstances that the threat is likely to cause seriouse fear shall be subject to a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year. 

PST har i dag, torsdag 14. mars, siktet justisministerens samboer, Laila Anita Bertheussen, for overtredelse av straffeloven § 225 bokstav b) for å ha foretatt noe som vekker mistanke om at en straffbar handling er begått, uten at den er det. 

Høsten 2016 publiserte PST en rapport om bakgrunnen til ekstreme islamister før de ble radikalisert. Nå har PST laget en tilsvarende rapport om personer som er knyttet til det høyreekstreme miljøet i Norge.

PST har siden desember 2018 etterforsket flere alvorlige hendelser rettet mot justisministeren og hans familie.

Den 13. februar sendte PST høringssvar til ny lov om Etterretningstjenesten.

I denne årlige åpne trusselvurderingen presenterer vi de mest sannsynlige utviklingstrekkene i trusselbildet. Det er ønskelig at lesere av trusselvurderingen vurderer i hvilken grad innholdet kan få konsekvenser for deres egen aktivitet og virksomhet, basert på de verdier de forvalter. Målet er at trussel vurderingen, som er blitt en viktig del av vår samfunnskommunikasjon, skal bidra til å øke forståelsen av truslene vi står overfor og redusere eksisterende sårbarhet.

In this annual open threat assessment, we present the most likely developments of the threat picture. We hope the readers of this assessment evaluate to which extent its content could have implications on their own activities and business, in view of the values they administer. By this threat assessment, which has become an essential part of our public communication, we aim at improving the understanding of the threats we are facing and at reducing existing vulnerabilities. 

Saken henlegges på grunn av manglende opplysninger om gjerningspersonen.