The frustrated father of Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen, who was found raped and murdered in London seven years ago, announced on Wednesday that he’s charging two employees of Norway’s foreign ministry (Utenriksdepartementet, UD) with dereliction of duty. He claims that he and his family have been misled regarding UD’s efforts to help bring his daughter’s killer to justice.
Odd Petter Magnussen claims the ministry workers have “communicated an incorrect commitment” in what’s been dubbed the “Martine case,” and that’s misleading both his family and the public.
“I think it’s sad to have to resort to this … but I view all other options as futile,” said Magnussen, who has carried on a relentless fight to get the chief suspect in the case extradited from Yemen to face charges in Great Britain.
Martine Vik Magnussen was last seen leaving a London nightclub with fellow student Farouk Abdulhak, son of one of Yemen’s wealthiest men. Her body was later found in the basement of Abdulhak’s apartment building and he had fled the country, turning up later back in Yemen. Neither Norway nor Great Britain has an extradition treaty with Yemen, so the young man has never been brought into court.
British police visited Odd Petter Magnussen in Oslo last week and vowed that they had not given up the case, and continue to encourage Abdulhak to face the rape and murder charges against him. Officials at UD declined to comment on Magnussen’s frustration or the complaint he’s filing against UD workers.
newsinenglish.no staff
