09.09.2010 - Fornebu

- The police fabricated Treholt-proofs

Norwegian surveillance police fabricated evidence in Norway's biggest espionage case, Arne Treholt's conviction, claimed in a new book released on Thursday.

Here is Treholt (left) in conversation with the KGB agents Gennady Titov and Alexander Lopatin in Vienna.

The claim was made in the book "Forfalskningen – Politiets løgn i Treholt-saken (falsification - Police lie in Treholt case)". Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen has written the book with journalist Kjetil Bortelid Maeland. Malthe-Sørenssen told they have irrefutable evidence about that monetary proof which was one of the most crucial evidence for the espionage conviction of 20 years in prison of Arne Treholt, was fabricated by the police.

- Police cheated with money-proof. We have provided irrefutable proof documented with photos. The evidence found in Treholt's apartment before he was arrested, in fact, must have been taken after Treholt was arrested, said Malthe-Sørenssen.

money

Money claimed to have been found in Treholt attaché case after the meeting he had with Titiov and Lopatin in Vienna in August 1983.

Treholt photographed coming out of a taxi at Fornebu on the day he was arrested. The picture is taken from a waiting car.

Arne Treholt Case

Treholt case was the biggest espionage case in recent Norwegian history. Labour Party politician and diplomat Arne Treholt was arrested in Fornebu Airport on 20 January 1984, and charged with espionage. Then, he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and confiscation of 1.1 million of Eidsivating Court of Appeal, for treason and espionage for the benefit of the Soviet Union and Iraq. The court stated that he had revealed the political and military secrets to the Soviet security service the KGB.

After eight and a half year sentence he was pardoned by the government because of health reasons on 3 July 1992. He stood next to Russia and now lives partly in Cyprus and partly in Moscow. Treholt currently earns his living as a businessman, and specialized in trade with Russian securities via Internet.

NRK/Aftenposten