Man sentenced for defrauding SalMar-founder Gustav Witzøe
A Norwegian court has sentenced a man to two years and six months in prison for, among other offences, aggravated fraud committed against SalMar founder Gustav Witzøe.
The sentence was handed down by the Nordmøre and Romsdal District Court in western Norway, according to Norwegian broadcaster TV 2.
According to the ruling, the man obtained loans totalling more than NOK 1.2 million from Witzøe's investment company, Kvarv, between 2018 and 2020. The court found that he misled Witzøe into believing the loans would be repaid through an upcoming insurance settlement, using forged documents to support his claims.
The court concluded that the man had neither the financial means nor any realistic plan to repay the loans.
In addition to the fraud involving Witzøe, the man was convicted of several other fraud offences, including cases involving his former general practitioner and a car dealer.
He was also ordered to pay NOK 1,245,000 in compensation to Gustav Witzøe.
The district court described the offences as a prolonged and systematic scheme in which the defendant exploited the trust of others for personal financial gain. The verdict was unanimous.
