Aabø-Evensen - Wake of Crimes

30.03.2009

Aabø-Evensen

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A lawyer and his wake of crimes

As mentioned in previous articles the Legal500 lawyer Ole Kristian Aabø-Evensen is under investigation for extortion. These two incidents which the Public Prosecutor has been notified about in two different criminal complaints seem to confirm a pattern rather than two single incidents of extortion.

Together with Mr. John Killengreen, the husband of the Chief of Police in Oslo (Norway) at that time, Mrs. Ingelin Killengreen, Aabø-Evensen in 1996 founded the law firm KPMG Law.

Attempted Extortion 1997

KPMG was later on immortalized in Norway as one of the most important key players making the Finance Credit Fraud – allegedly the biggest economic fraud in Norwegian history – possible. A few months prior to the outburst of the Finance Credit-scandal, KPMG was involved in a similar case in Australia.

Almost immediately after the opening of this new law firm, it seems that KPMG Law and Partner Aabø-Evensen started to threaten and extort its client’s adversaries. This is demonstrated in this letter authored by KPMG/Aabø-Evensen dispatched just before Christmas 1997, explaining to the couple how much it would cost them if they didn’t comply with the KPMG-proposal. KPMG Law’s client had constructed a concrete wall too close to the neighbouring property without obtaining the neighbour’s consent. The neighbour complained to the municipal authority, and the result of this complaint was that the municipality demanded the none-approved erected wall removed within a few weeks.

As you will notice KPMG Law composed a letter with obvious threats, followed by a ready-to-send-letter (conveniently dated on Christmas Eve, which indicates more than annoying mental problems, in fact pure evil) which the adversary party was supposed to not resist and just sign and dispatch. If the adversary party for some reason should experience problems swallowing this “KPMG-offer” in the first round, they know – after reading the letters and thinking twice – they would face a full scale legal rage from one of the bigger companies in the world. Who wouldn’t comply with such extortion demands?

There is one more snag with these Christmas letters: KPMG Law’s client in this case was a highly valued auditor with the KPMG, and thus a partner with Killengreen and Aabø-Evensen. Extraordinary.

Attempted Extortion 2006

The above mentioned Christmas Offer is by the way not unlike the letter which Aabø-Evensen sent to me on December 18 2006 on behalf of the Riis-family, threatening me to withdraw from my position as the Testamentary Executor in the estate of the late Consul Riis, or face lawsuits. Such a threat is obviously a crime (criminal complaint only in Norwegian). To this letter Aabø-Evensen attached, as usual, a ready-to-send-waiver which only needed my signature.

Extortion 2000

KPMG Law and Aabø-Evensen were representing the infamous Riis-family in some of their lawsuits against the Norwegian Government. One of these cases was presided over by Judge Margarete Hoff, the sister of Aabø-Evensens former boss (Aksel O. Hillestad). No one complained and the Riis’ were forced to keep quiet. The main hearing in this certain case lasted for three months.

I was present during these hearings, taking notes and now and then publishing important events from the hearings in www.rettsnorge.no (established in 1997).

On October 3 2000 I published an article about the Government’s main witness, Ole Lund, a lawyer who played a key role in the Riis-case in the 1970’. On October 6 2000 Aabø-Evensen called me and then, later on the same evening, sent me a fax basically threatening me with all kinds of scenarios if I didn’t remove the article. I informed the late Consul Riis and his wife about the incident and that I would refuse to comply.

My stand in this case led KPMG and Aabø-Evensen shortly after to call for a meeting with me and the late Consul Riis. Aabø-Evensen made it clear that KPMG demanded me to withdraw this article or at least parts of the content where I was referring to the shipping tycoon Mr. Thomas Fredrik Olsen, better known as; Fred. Olsen in Fred. Olsen. The late Consul Riis and I didn’t really understand the actual reason why KPMG were so eager to censor this particular article until Aabø-Evensen told us that KPMG were representing the tycoon.

Fred. Olsen is closely involved in the old Riis-case, thus KPMG should never had engaged themselves on behalf of the Riis-family in the first place. During the meeting the late Consul Riis begged me to do what KPMG demanded. Although he didn’t want it this way, he had no choice as Aabø-Evensen during the meeting made it clear that he and KPMG Law would withdraw from the court case if I didn’t comply with their demand.

As a result of these threats and the consequences the Riis-family were envisioned, I was forced to remove parts of the article concerning Fred. Olsen. This is how the article looked like after KPMG had approved it. As you will discover everything about Fred. Olsen was removed, removed by the hand and the threat of KPMG and Aabø-Evensen.

One reason why the recipients of KPMG Law’s “irresistible” offers never dares to oppose to these threats might be that Mr. Killengreen is quite an influential and powerful man, not only married to a former Chief of Police and now the Director of the National Police Directorate and thus acting as head of the Norwegian Police, but also a board member of the highly influential club, The Norwegian Society (see an updated list of members her). Obviously one could get away with almost anything in Norway with these credentials. It remains to be seen how far this exploitation and manipulation of power reach – today.

Herman J Berge

Luxembourg