Sindre Finnes’ share deals during his wife Erna Solberg’s prime ministership have raised doubts about the use of insider information.
Former Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg has drifted into the middle of a scandal with her husband By Sindre Finnes because of stock transactions.
The information dug up by the Norwegian media reveals that Finnes made a lot of stock deals during his wife’s prime ministership, and some of them took place at moments that raised suspicions.
This has raised suspicions that Finnes would have used the insider information he received because of his wife’s prime ministership and therefore committed financial crimes. The authorities are currently investigating the matter.
of the Norwegian public broadcasting company NRK According to Finnes, for example, he sold his shares and fund investments five times on March 12, 2020, i.e. the same day when the government led by his wife announced the corona lockdown. As a result of the closing announcement, the rates plunged on the Oslo stock exchange.
Erna Solberg, who was prime minister from 2013 to 2021, assures that she has not known about such deals.
In any case, the scandal has driven Solberg, who has led the center-right Høyre party since 2004, into such a difficult situation that the end may come for both his political career and his marriage. There are already demands to change the party leader.
Another female politician in trouble because of her husband’s deals
The share scandal involving Solberg’s spouse began to unravel after another successful female politician, the Minister of Foreign Affairs representing the Labor Party, had first been publicly accused Anniken Huitfeldt spouse’s activities.
Huitfeldt has also been the target of divorce claims after her husband Ola Petter Flemin stock deals were revealed. Flem has traded in the shares of companies whose operations may have been affected by the decisions made by his wife.
Like Solberg, Huitfeldt has also confirmed that he did not know about his spouse’s antics.
According to experts, the case of Solberg and his spouse Finnes is much more serious than the case of Huitfeldt and Flem.
Finnes made more than 3,600 stock transactions during his wife’s tenure as prime minister. Many of these deals were such that Solberg probably should have recused himself from making certain decisions.
Through his lawyer, Finnes has publicly admitted that he lied to his wife about the stock transactions he made. However, he assures that he never used insider information.
“I am responsible for not supervising my husband’s actions”
– I am responsible for not supervising my husband’s actions better, and for not doubting what he said. I never felt that there was reason to doubt Sindre, says Solberg in an interview with NRK.
– Of course, it is my responsibility that I have trusted my husband, as it is customary to do in marriage.
According to the news agency AP, some of the political commentators have, however, wondered whether female politicians should also watch over their husbands in addition to their demanding careers. For example, the editor of Vårt Land magazine Berit Aalborg has branded such demands for women’s responsibility as a form of sexism.
According to Solberg, both she and the prime minister’s office have known that the husband trades in shares.
– He cannot do a stock transaction in the future if I become prime minister again, Solberg told reporters last Thursday According to NRK.
However, the continuation of the marriage concluded in 1996 seems to be still uncertain.
– This is a difficult and time-consuming matter. Time will tell if we manage to build a good coexistence in the future, Solberg opened up the couple’s relationship to the media.
– Sindre has apologized for what he did and for betraying trust, Solberg said.