Difference between revisions of "Lars Findsen"
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| − | |description=Head of the Danish Defence Intelligence | + | |description=Head of the [[Danish Defence Intelligence Service]]. Suspended in 2020 after spying on intelligence supervision board members, and withholding or lying about key information of other criminal activity. |
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| − | |description=Chief of Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste}}{{job | + | |description=Chief of Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste |
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| − | '''Lars Findsen''' is a Danish [[civil servant]] and former chief of the Police Intelligence Service who was made [[head of the Danish Defence Intelligence service]] in 2015. He was suspended (with pay) in 2020 after the Danish Intelligence Supervision Commission had charged | + | '''Lars Findsen''' is a Danish [[civil servant]] and former chief of the [[Danish Police Intelligence Service|Police Intelligence Service]] who was made [[Danish Defence Intelligence Service/Chief|head of the Danish Defence Intelligence service]] in 2015. He was suspended (with pay) in 2020 after the Danish Intelligence Supervision Commission had charged and his predecessor [[Thomas Ahrenkiel]] with illegal snooping and lying to the commission. In a media campaign, the case was downplayed into a [[limited hangout]] of leaking to journalists, and finally dropped in November 2023.<ref>https://solidaritet.dk/fe-sagen-klub-109-et-daekke/</ref> |
| + | |||
| + | Findsen attended the [[Bilderberg]] in [[Bilderberg/2019|2019]]. | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
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==Career== | ==Career== | ||
| − | Findsen worked as a clerk in the [[Danish Ministry of Justice]] until 1993. From 1995 to 1998 he was senior secretary and 2001-2002 head of unit in the same place. From 2002 to 2007 he was chief of the Danish Police Intelligence Service, where he was succeeded by [[Jakob Scharf]]. From 2007 to 2015 he was secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence. From 1991-2002, Findsen was an external lecturer in administrative Law at the | + | Findsen worked as a clerk in the [[Danish Ministry of Justice]] until 1993. From 1995 to 1998 he was senior secretary and 2001-2002 head of unit in the same place. From 2002 to 2007 he was chief of the Danish Police Intelligence Service, where he was succeeded by [[Jakob Scharf]]. From 2007 to 2015 he was secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence. From 1991-2002, Findsen was an external lecturer in administrative Law at the [[niversity of Copenhagen]]. |
==Illegal Surveillance and Lying== | ==Illegal Surveillance and Lying== | ||
In August 2020, Findsen was suspended (with pay) after the Danish Intelligence Supervision Commission had charged him and 3 others, including his predecessor [[Thomas Ahrenkiel]], with spying on the supervisory board members, and withholding or lying about key and crucial information of other criminal activity, including illegal cooperation between the [[Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste|Defence Intelligence Service]] and the [[NSA]] to bug Danish fibre optic cables and Danish citizens without a warrant.<ref>http://kpnet.dk/2020/08/25/whistleblower-anklager-fe-for-at-bryde-loven-bovlamt-tilsyn-blev-foert-bag-lyset-i-5-aar/</ref> | In August 2020, Findsen was suspended (with pay) after the Danish Intelligence Supervision Commission had charged him and 3 others, including his predecessor [[Thomas Ahrenkiel]], with spying on the supervisory board members, and withholding or lying about key and crucial information of other criminal activity, including illegal cooperation between the [[Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste|Defence Intelligence Service]] and the [[NSA]] to bug Danish fibre optic cables and Danish citizens without a warrant.<ref>http://kpnet.dk/2020/08/25/whistleblower-anklager-fe-for-at-bryde-loven-bovlamt-tilsyn-blev-foert-bag-lyset-i-5-aar/</ref> | ||
| − | == | + | In [[2020]] the Intelligence Supervision Commission finished an investigation of the Defence Intelligence Service on the basis of material submitted by one or more [[whistleblowers]]. It concluded that<ref name=kpnet>https://kpnet.dk/2020/08/25/whistleblower-anklager-fe-for-at-bryde-loven-bovlamt-tilsyn-blev-foert-bag-lyset-i-5-aar/</ref> |
| − | Findsen | + | |
| + | *Several times since the establishment of the authority in 2014 and until the summer of 2020 – in connection with, among other things, the authority's specific checks and meetings with the head of the authority – the Defence Intelligence Service (FE) has withheld key and crucial information for the authority and provided the authority with incorrect information on matters relating to the service's collection and disclosure of information.<ref name=kpnet/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | *That at key parts of the FEs collection capacities there are risks that unjustified collection can be made against Danish citizens.<ref name=kpnet/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | *That the submitted material indicates that FEs management has failed to follow up on or further investigate indications of espionage within the Ministry of Defence (implied by the [[NSA]]/[[CIA]]).<ref name=kpnet/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | *That an inappropriate culture of extra-legality exists in FE's management and parts of the service.<ref name=kpnet/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | *That the submitted material indicates that prior to the authority's establishment in [[2014]], FE initiated operational activities in violation of Danish law, including by obtaining and disclosing a significant amount of information about Danish citizens.<ref name=kpnet/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Disclosure of state secrets charges== | ||
| + | In January 2022, it emerged that Findsen had been remanded in custody on December 8, 2021, five days before the commission of inquiry acquitted him and his two colleagues. His imprisonment occurred because of a charge of violation of paragraph 109 of the criminal code, on the disclosure of state secrets.<ref name=dr>https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/lars-findsen-dybt-kraenkende-detaljer-om-privatliv-er-delt-0</ref> In the case, four current and former employees of the police intelligence service (PET) and the Defence Intelligence Service (FE) were arrested and charged with leaking highly classified information.<ref>https://ekstrabladet.dk/krimi/spionchef-sidder-faengslet-i-laekagesag/9075714</ref><ref>https://www.berlingske.dk/samfund/journalister-indkaldes-som-vidner-i-sag-om-efterretningslaek-0</ref> By august 2022, the charges against two of the other three accused had been dropped.<ref>https://www.berlingske.dk/samfund/kan-lars-findsen-ogsaa-faa-droppet-sigtelsen-mod-sig-her-er-en-eksperts</ref> In February 2022, Findsen was released and but still charged by PET and suspended from his job.<ref name=dr/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | In October 2022, Findsen, in collaboration with journalist [[Mette Mayli Albæk]], published the book ''The Spy Boss. Memoirs from cell 18''<ref>''Spionchefen. Erindringer fra celle 18'' </ref>, in which he gave his view of the case against him and the events that preceded it. The same month, the charges against Findsen were specified to the fact that he had disclosed state secrets to five people, among others.a. the former national police chief [[Torsten Hesselbjerg]], who however denied having received state secrets.<ref>https://ekstrabladet.dk/krimi/lars-findsen-er-tiltalt-for-at-afsloere-statshemmeligheder-for-tidligere-rigspolitichef/9479725</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | In 2022, several newspapers linked the charges against Lars Findsen under Section 109 - treason - of the criminal code with a charge under the same section against former minister of Defense and former chairman of the Committee on Intelligence Services [[Claus Hjort Frederiksen]].<ref>https://www.berlingske.dk/samfund/fe-chef-lars-findsen-udstillet-som-cykeltyv-over-for-toppolitikere</ref><ref>https://www.nordtinget.dk/2022/05/20/kan-lars-findsen-retsforfoelges-naar-claus-hjort-slipper/</ref><ref>https://politiken.dk/indland/art9122454/Claus-Hjort-og-Lars-Findsen-m%C3%A5-v%C3%A6re-skuffede-hvis-de-havde-regnet-med-en-tidlig-julegave</ref> According to ''[[Berlingske Tidene]]'', the case is only about how Findsen spoke to two journalists and four close associates.<ref>https://www.berlingske.dk/indland/kan-lars-findsen-ogsaa-faa-droppet-sigtelsen-mod-sig-her-er-en-eksperts</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | On October 27, 2023, the Supreme Court rejected the prosecution's demand that the charges against Findsen not be made public.<ref>https://nyheder.tv2.dk/samfund/2023-10-27-hoejesteret-aabner-doere-en-smule-i-sager-mod-hjort-og-findsen</ref> the 1st. November 2023, the prosecution dropped their charges against Findsen and Claus Hjort Frederiksen.<ref>https://politiken.dk/indland/art9600675/Alle-sager-i-spionskandalen-droppes</ref> | ||
{{SMWDocs}} | {{SMWDocs}} | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
Latest revision as of 10:18, 5 November 2024
 Lars Findsen    (spook) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||||||||||
| Born | 17 September 1964 | |||||||||||
| Nationality | Danish | |||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Copenhagen | |||||||||||
Head of the Danish Defence Intelligence Service. Suspended in 2020 after spying on intelligence supervision board members, and withholding or lying about key information of other criminal activity.
| ||||||||||||
Lars Findsen is a Danish civil servant and former chief of the Police Intelligence Service who was made head of the Danish Defence Intelligence service in 2015. He was suspended (with pay) in 2020 after the Danish Intelligence Supervision Commission had charged and his predecessor Thomas Ahrenkiel with illegal snooping and lying to the commission. In a media campaign, the case was downplayed into a limited hangout of leaking to journalists, and finally dropped in November 2023.[1]
Findsen attended the Bilderberg in 2019.
Contents
Background
Findsen obtained a master's degree in law from the University of Copenhagen in 1990.
Career
Findsen worked as a clerk in the Danish Ministry of Justice until 1993. From 1995 to 1998 he was senior secretary and 2001-2002 head of unit in the same place. From 2002 to 2007 he was chief of the Danish Police Intelligence Service, where he was succeeded by Jakob Scharf. From 2007 to 2015 he was secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence. From 1991-2002, Findsen was an external lecturer in administrative Law at the niversity of Copenhagen.
Illegal Surveillance and Lying
In August 2020, Findsen was suspended (with pay) after the Danish Intelligence Supervision Commission had charged him and 3 others, including his predecessor Thomas Ahrenkiel, with spying on the supervisory board members, and withholding or lying about key and crucial information of other criminal activity, including illegal cooperation between the Defence Intelligence Service and the NSA to bug Danish fibre optic cables and Danish citizens without a warrant.[2]
In 2020 the Intelligence Supervision Commission finished an investigation of the Defence Intelligence Service on the basis of material submitted by one or more whistleblowers. It concluded that[3]
- Several times since the establishment of the authority in 2014 and until the summer of 2020 – in connection with, among other things, the authority's specific checks and meetings with the head of the authority – the Defence Intelligence Service (FE) has withheld key and crucial information for the authority and provided the authority with incorrect information on matters relating to the service's collection and disclosure of information.[3]
- That at key parts of the FEs collection capacities there are risks that unjustified collection can be made against Danish citizens.[3]
- That the submitted material indicates that FEs management has failed to follow up on or further investigate indications of espionage within the Ministry of Defence (implied by the NSA/CIA).[3]
- That an inappropriate culture of extra-legality exists in FE's management and parts of the service.[3]
- That the submitted material indicates that prior to the authority's establishment in 2014, FE initiated operational activities in violation of Danish law, including by obtaining and disclosing a significant amount of information about Danish citizens.[3]
Disclosure of state secrets charges
In January 2022, it emerged that Findsen had been remanded in custody on December 8, 2021, five days before the commission of inquiry acquitted him and his two colleagues. His imprisonment occurred because of a charge of violation of paragraph 109 of the criminal code, on the disclosure of state secrets.[4] In the case, four current and former employees of the police intelligence service (PET) and the Defence Intelligence Service (FE) were arrested and charged with leaking highly classified information.[5][6] By august 2022, the charges against two of the other three accused had been dropped.[7] In February 2022, Findsen was released and but still charged by PET and suspended from his job.[4]
In October 2022, Findsen, in collaboration with journalist Mette Mayli Albæk, published the book The Spy Boss. Memoirs from cell 18[8], in which he gave his view of the case against him and the events that preceded it. The same month, the charges against Findsen were specified to the fact that he had disclosed state secrets to five people, among others.a. the former national police chief Torsten Hesselbjerg, who however denied having received state secrets.[9]
In 2022, several newspapers linked the charges against Lars Findsen under Section 109 - treason - of the criminal code with a charge under the same section against former minister of Defense and former chairman of the Committee on Intelligence Services Claus Hjort Frederiksen.[10][11][12] According to Berlingske Tidene, the case is only about how Findsen spoke to two journalists and four close associates.[13]
On October 27, 2023, the Supreme Court rejected the prosecution's demand that the charges against Findsen not be made public.[14] the 1st. November 2023, the prosecution dropped their charges against Findsen and Claus Hjort Frederiksen.[15]
Events Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilderberg/2019 | 30 May 2019 | 2 June 2019 | Switzerland Montreux | The 67th Bilderberg Meeting |
| Munich Security Conference/2020 | 14 February 2020 | 16 February 2020 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 56th Munich Security Conference, in 2020, "welcomed an unprecedented number of high-ranking international decision-makers." |
References
- ↑ https://solidaritet.dk/fe-sagen-klub-109-et-daekke/
- ↑ http://kpnet.dk/2020/08/25/whistleblower-anklager-fe-for-at-bryde-loven-bovlamt-tilsyn-blev-foert-bag-lyset-i-5-aar/
- ↑ a b c d e f https://kpnet.dk/2020/08/25/whistleblower-anklager-fe-for-at-bryde-loven-bovlamt-tilsyn-blev-foert-bag-lyset-i-5-aar/
- ↑ a b https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/lars-findsen-dybt-kraenkende-detaljer-om-privatliv-er-delt-0
- ↑ https://ekstrabladet.dk/krimi/spionchef-sidder-faengslet-i-laekagesag/9075714
- ↑ https://www.berlingske.dk/samfund/journalister-indkaldes-som-vidner-i-sag-om-efterretningslaek-0
- ↑ https://www.berlingske.dk/samfund/kan-lars-findsen-ogsaa-faa-droppet-sigtelsen-mod-sig-her-er-en-eksperts
- ↑ Spionchefen. Erindringer fra celle 18
- ↑ https://ekstrabladet.dk/krimi/lars-findsen-er-tiltalt-for-at-afsloere-statshemmeligheder-for-tidligere-rigspolitichef/9479725
- ↑ https://www.berlingske.dk/samfund/fe-chef-lars-findsen-udstillet-som-cykeltyv-over-for-toppolitikere
- ↑ https://www.nordtinget.dk/2022/05/20/kan-lars-findsen-retsforfoelges-naar-claus-hjort-slipper/
- ↑ https://politiken.dk/indland/art9122454/Claus-Hjort-og-Lars-Findsen-m%C3%A5-v%C3%A6re-skuffede-hvis-de-havde-regnet-med-en-tidlig-julegave
- ↑ https://www.berlingske.dk/indland/kan-lars-findsen-ogsaa-faa-droppet-sigtelsen-mod-sig-her-er-en-eksperts
- ↑ https://nyheder.tv2.dk/samfund/2023-10-27-hoejesteret-aabner-doere-en-smule-i-sager-mod-hjort-og-findsen
- ↑ https://politiken.dk/indland/art9600675/Alle-sager-i-spionskandalen-droppes
