The taxi industry has previously been exposed to fraud, as we remember in connection with the taxi scandal in Oslo many years ago. Now a network of companies is being linked to systematic fraud. The actors are using the taxi industry as a tool for crime. And the same pattern is recurring in several regions.
Six people have been charged with fraud involving tens of millions of kroner after police carried out raids at several locations in Eastern Norway last week.
Five addresses were searched by police last week. They are linked to a network of bankrupt taxi companies, VG writes.
– We have been investigating a network of companies in the taxi industry for some time. We are investigating aggravated fraud and money laundering, in which it appears that the taxi companies have been used as tools for the criminal activity, police prosecutor Alexander Bjorvatn Øien of Oslo Police District tells the newspaper.
Large sums of money are said to have been drained from the companies before they were forced into bankruptcy, and more than 50 taxis are said to have disappeared, according to VG’s review of information provided to the court by the administrators of the bankrupt taxi companies’ estates.
– We are talking about tens of millions of kroner, says Øien.
One of those charged says that he himself bears primary responsibility for the operation of the taxi companies. He does not admit criminal liability, says defence counsel Unni Fries. He was released after questioning last week. (NTB)
Something similar was uncovered in the south-eastern county of Agder on 11 August. Here, a school transport agreement was used for systematic incorrect invoicing.
Taxi company in Agder loses school transport agreement after incorrect invoicing
Agder Kollektivtrafikk (AKT) is terminating its framework agreement with Taxi Sør after discovering extensive irregularities in the invoicing of school transport.According to a press release from AKT, an internal audit has so far uncovered overbilling of around NOK 11.7 million, writes Avisen Kristiansand.
The board of AKT has therefore decided to terminate its cooperation with the taxi company with immediate effect. The agreement is being terminated just before the start of the school year.
The total amount of money involved is not yet clear, as AKT is now checking invoices further back in time.
Taxi Sør regrets the incident and is following up the matter internally. (NTB)
What is being done to follow this up? The head of Norway’s economic crime authority Økokrim, Pål Lønseth, seemed rather feeble when he commented on the report from the A-crime Centre (A-krimsenteret) in Tønsberg. Criminals have been able to infiltrate the child welfare services and obtain approval. The criminals are raking in money which they reinvest in real estate.
Norway is becoming a corrupt society.
