At the same time as the state tries to rectify the judicial murder against the now acquitted Viggo Kristiansen (44), he has to deal with a large multimillion-dollar lawsuit from his former supporter, Eivind Pedersen.
On the same day that the trial against Jan Helge Andersen (43) began in Sør-Rogaland district court, TV 2 could tell that the state has awarded Kristiansen NOK 55 million in restitution and compensation.
PLAINTIFF: Eivind Pedersen has sued Viggo Kristiansen. Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder / NTB
Now TV 2 can tell new details about the lawsuit in which the former Dagbladet journalist is trying to secure a part of Kristiansen’s new fortune.
A higher sum than first thought
When the case was discussed for the first time, it was said that the claim from Pedersen was NOK four million.
But the amount is even higher. According to TV 2’s information, Pedersen demands NOK 4,431,105 from Kristiansen.
The summons was sent to Agder District Court on 3 April. Pedersen believes he is entitled to the money as a result of his work in getting Kristiansen’s case reopened.
The former journalist covered the case for Dagbladet in both courts in 2001 and 2002. When Kristiansen engaged lawyer Sigurd Klomsæt in 2008, Pedersen was also connected as one of Kristiansen’s supporters.
ACQUITTED: Viggo Kristiansen celebrated his acquittal in December 2022 at a bakery in central Oslo. Photo: Christian Roth Christensen / TV 2
Pedersen’s lawyer, Patrick Lundevall-Unger, told TV 2 last week that they believe it was Pedersen who found the arguments and evidence that ultimately got Kristiansen acquitted.
– It was pointed out at the beginning of the trial in Sør-Rogaland district court against Jan Helge Andersen that when Viggo Kristiansen’s case was reopened, it happened based on most of the arguments that were already on the table in 2010, said Lundevall-Unger.
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Kristiansen submitted his first petition to reopen the criminal case in 2010. He was only successful on the fifth attempt, in 2021.
Believes the agreement does not exist
It is lawyer Carl Aasland Jerstad who is assisting Viggo Kristiansen in the case against Eivind Pedersen. In the trial against Jan Helge Andersen, however, it is lawyer Brynjar Meling who is assisting Kristiansen.
The reason is that Meling cannot assist Kristiansen with the lawsuit, because his colleague Arvid Sjødin is on the witness list.
– We have taken out the lawsuit because it is noticeable that Viggo Kristiansen has forgotten his long-time supporter Eivind Pedersen, as well as what lies between them manifested in contractual law, says Lundevall-Unger.
LAWYER: Patrick Lundevall-Unger has formulated the subpoena on behalf of Eivind Pedersen. Photo: Geir Johnny Huneide / TV 2
Lawyer Carl Aasland Jerstad has a somewhat different view of what is involved in the case.
– I have read the summons, and it does not contain any written agreement about payment, says Jerstad to TV 2.
Kristiansen explained himself as a witness in the trial against Jan Helge Andersen on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Jerstad states that he has not yet spoken to Kristiansen about the lawsuit from Pedersen.
– I thought I should let him relax a bit before we decide together whether there is important information that needs to be obtained from another team, says Jerstad.
Got the deadline postponed
When the summons was sent to the Agder district court, Kristiansen was originally given a deadline to respond to the claim by 29 April, i.e. next Monday.
– We applied to have the deadline postponed, and got until 15 May, says lawyer Jerstad.
Lawyer Brynjar Meling has previously told TV 2 that Viggo Kristiansen will reject the million demand from Pedersen.
Another person who has been important to Kristiansen in the work to get the case reopened is lawyer Sigurd Klomsæt. He was the first lawyer who wanted to represent Viggo Kristiansen after he was convicted.
LAWYER: Sigurd Klomsæt was Viggo Kristiansen’s lawyer from 2008 to 2012. Photo: Anneli Isaksen / TV 2
Klomsæt tells TV 2 that he does not want to comment on the case at the present time.
– If I am summoned by one of the parties, I will of course attend, and I will give my explanation there, not to the media beforehand, says Klomsæt.
TV 2 is aware that Eivind Pedersen will call in lawyer Arvid Sjødin as a witness in the lawsuit.
WANT TO WITNESS: Lawyer Arvid Sjødin believes that Eivind Pedersen should be paid for his work on the case of Viggo Kristiansen. Photo: Christian Roth Christensen / TV 2
Sjødin was Kristiansen’s lawyer when he was finally acquitted in the Baneheia case in December 2022. Later, TV 2 mentioned that Kristiansen expressed in an e-mail that Sjødin was fired.
– I cannot comment on anything other than to say what he has meant to the case, and that is no small thing. It is very unfortunate that you have a system in Norway where some get and some don’t. It is not insignificant work he has put in, says Sjødin to TV 2.
– So you mean that Eivind Pedersen is entitled to money from Viggo?
– I cannot decide on that, but I think it is totally unreasonable that a person should spend ten to 12 years of his life working on a case, without getting paid.
Pedersen’s lawyer does not want to comment on the case beyond what he said when the lawsuit became known last week.