Woman Acquitted in Ministerial Car Misuse Case

A woman, referred to as the "decoy" in a case involving the misuse of a ministerial car, has been cleared of charges by the Østre Landsret (Eastern High Court). In 2023, she had received a 30-day suspended prison sentence for her part in an operation that aimed to expose a driver employed by the Prime Minister's Office for using a ministerial car to transport dates.

Her lawyer, Erbil Kaya, informed Ritzau that the appeals court has now ruled that she should not face punishment. The woman, along with the newspaper Ekstra Bladet, had attempted to uncover the driver's misconduct. However, she was initially convicted for entering a ministerial car without the necessary security clearance, an act she knew was illegal.

In the high court, she was acquitted of complicity in vehicle theft. The court found her guilty of aiding in the abuse of official duties, but due to the minor nature of this offense and the significant public interest and news value of the information she helped reveal, the court decided against imposing a penalty. This decision effectively pardons her involvement in the exposure.

“

And then they found her guilty of complicity in abuse of office, but because it was such a mild matter, and because what was exposed had significant societal news value, there was a waiver of punishment.