An appeals court trial began again in Oslo on Wednesday for Eirik Jensen, the retired Oslo police officer who’s been charged and convicted by the Oslo County Court of contributing to the import of 13.9 tons of hash over a 10-year period from 2004. Jensen was also found guilty of corruption and was sentenced to Norway’s maximum jail term of 21 years.
His initial appeal ended with another conviction for aggravated corruption, but he was acquitted of the narcotics charges. A panel of professional judges did not agree with the jury’s conclusion and it was all set aside. That means an entirely new appeals trial must be held, with new judges, starting this week with another long list of people summoned to testify.
Now it’s a panel of seven judges hearing Jensen’s appeal, and at least five of them must declare him guilty if he’s to be convicted. Jensen’s alleged informant, convicted drug dealer Germund Cappelen, is also back in court but only in an effort to get a milder sentence than the 15 years Cappelen also got.
The trial is expected to run through March, with a verdict in either May or June.
newsinenglish.no staff
