Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen

Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen (born 1965), formerly Geir Selvik, is a Norwegian con artist^[1][2] and a former journalist. He became known for fabricating material in the Arne Treholt case, and in the aftermath, it was revealed that he had engaged in similar fraud in a large number of other cases.

Career

Malthe-Sørenssen grew up in Bærum and started his journalistic career in the local newspaper Asker og Bærums Budstikke. He later worked in Bergens Arbeiderblad, Dagbladet and Se og Hør, and as an editor with Nettavisen and the TV3 television show Etterlyst ("Wanted"). He then left journalism to work as a private detective, and has been a paid private detective on behalf of several defendants in criminal cases. He changed his name from Geir Selvik to Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen in 2010.^[3]

Fraud

Treholt case

In 2010, he published a book titled Forfalskningen ("The Fabrication") in which he alleged that the police had fabricated evidence when Arne Treholt was convicted of treason and espionage in 1985. The book was written on behalf of Treholt and Malthe-Sørenssen was paid by Treholt for his work. The book led to much controversy and to a new evaluation of the Treholt case by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. In a 2011 ruling, the commission found no evidence for Malthe-Sørenssen's claims and turned down Treholt's request to reopen his criminal case for the fourth time. The commission concluded that Malthe-Sørenssen's claims were based on fraud.^[4][5][6]

In 2016, Malthe-Sørenssen was revealed by the newspaper Verdens Gang to have fabricated evidence in his attempt to have Treholt's case reopened, and his alleged source was revealed to be a used car salesman convicted of murder and fraud, with no connection to the Treholt case, who was paid by Malthe-Sørenssen to impersonate an agent of the secret service.^{[7][8][9][10][11][12]}

Other cases

After his fraud in the Treholt case was exposed, it came to light that he had engaged in similar fraud in a large number of other cases. In collaboration with the used car salesman, he had fabricated materiale in an inheritance case related to well-known lawyer Mona Høiness.^[13][14] He had also engaged in blackmail of a Norwegian businessman by fabricating alleged evidence, also in collaboration with used car salesman Thor Nord.^[1][15]

Criminal investigations

In 2015 Malthe-Sørenssen was arrested and charged with corruption.^[16] In an unrelated case, he has also been investigated for fraud since 2015.^[17] He has also been named a suspect in a third criminal case.^[18]

Bibliography

• Forfalskningen, politiets løgn i Treholt-saken, Publicom, 2010

References

1. 1 2 Bløffmakerne, VG
2. ↑ Farlige forbindelser, Aftenposten
3. ↑ Slik startet Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssens journalistkarriere: Mannen som i helgen ble avslørt for juks begynte å jobbe som journalist på 1980-tallet, Journalisten
4. ↑ Malthe-Sørenssen og Treholt-saken. NTB 9. mars 2016
5. ↑ Slakter Treholt-forfatteren: Gjenopptakelseskommisjonen hardt ut mot Treholtforfatter Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen. Dagbladet 9. juni 2011
6. ↑ Treholt-forfatter langer ut mot kommisjonen: Geir Selvik fikk totalslakt av gjenopptakelseskommisjonen. Det tar han ikke tungt. Dagbladet 9. juni 2011
7. ↑ Treholt-bløffen, Verdens Gang
8. ↑ Forfalskeren, Verdens Gang
9. ↑ Helen Sæter om Treholt-bløffen: - Ikke overrasket, Verdens Gang
10. ↑ Lurte Treholts advokat, NRK
11. ↑ Derfor publiserer VG lydopptakene, Verdens Gang
12. ↑ Bruktbilselgeren om Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen: «Han lurte på om jeg kjente noen som kunne manipulere bilder av Arne Treholt», Verdens Gang
13. ↑ Testament-bløffen, VG
14. ↑ Oslo-politiet vurderer bredere etterforskning av Malthe-Sørenssen, VG
15. ↑ Sannhet til salgs, VG
16. ↑ Malthe-Sørenssen tar med seg Treholts venner på vei ned, Dagbladet
17. ↑ Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen etterforskes for millionbedrageri, Aftenposten
18. ↑ Politiet til VG: Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen mistenkt for å ha diktet opp avlytting, Verdens Gang