Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen

Geir Eriksen (born 15 May 1965), former names Geir Selvik and Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen,[2][3] is a Norwegian con artist and convicted felon.[4][5] He formerly worked as a private investigator for criminal clients, and became known for fabricating material in the Arne Treholt case; it was subsequently revealed that he had engaged in similar fraud in a large number of other cases. He was charged with aggravated fraud and forgery; his criminal trial started in Oslo District Court in 2018, and he pled guilty to all charges.[6] On 18 June 2018 Malthe-Sørenssen was convicted of aggravated fraud and forgery of documents, and sentenced to three years in prison and to pay his victims over seven million Norwegian kroner in restitution.[7] He has changed his names several times, but is best known under the name Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen, his legal name from 2010 to 2017.[2]

Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen
Born	Geir Selvik 15 May 1965[1]
Nationality	Norway
Other names	Geir Eriksen
Known for	Fraud
Criminal status	Convicted
Criminal charge	Fraud and forgery
Penalty	3 years imprisonment

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, and to Geir Eriksen in 2017.[8]

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.[9][10][11]

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.[12][13][14][15][16][17]

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.[18][19] He had also engaged in blackmail of a Norwegian businessman by fabricating alleged evidence, also in collaboration with used car salesman Thor Nord.[4][20]

Criminal trial

In 2015 Malthe-Sørenssen was arrested and charged with corruption.[21] In an unrelated case, he has also been investigated for fraud since 2015.[22] He has also been named a suspect in a third criminal case.[23]

Malthe-Sørenssen was charged with aggravated fraud of nearly 7 million Norwegian kroner and of forgery of documents. His criminal trial started in Oslo District Court in 2018, and he pled guilty to all charges.[6] The public prosecutor requested a prison term of four years for Malthe-Sørenssen, taking into account his guilty plea and cooperation with the prosecution.[24]

On 18 June 2018 Malthe-Sørenssen was convicted of aggravated fraud and forgery of documents, and sentenced to three years in prison and to pay his victims over seven million Norwegian kroner in restitution.[7]

Bibliography

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

References

1. Certificate of Incorporation: Company Number 09550329, The Registrar of Companies for England and Wales, 20 April 2015
2. Privatetterforsker og eks-journalist etterforskes av politiet. Nå har han byttet navn igjen, Dagbladet
3. Tiltalte møtte ikke i retten, NRK
4. Bløffmakerne, VG
5. Farlige forbindelser, Aftenposten
6. Malthe-Sørenssen møtte i retten. Erkjente straffskyld på alle punkter
7. Tidligere journalist Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen er dømt til tre års fengsel, VG
8. Slik startet Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssens journalistkarriere: Mannen som i helgen ble avslørt for juks begynte å jobbe som journalist på 1980-tallet, Journalisten
9. Malthe-Sørenssen og Treholt-saken. NTB 9. mars 2016
10. Slakter Treholt-forfatteren: Gjenopptakelseskommisjonen hardt ut mot Treholtforfatter Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen. Dagbladet 9. juni 2011
11. Treholt-forfatter langer ut mot kommisjonen: Geir Selvik fikk totalslakt av gjenopptakelseskommisjonen. Det tar han ikke tungt. Dagbladet 9. juni 2011
12. Treholt-bløffen, Verdens Gang
13. Forfalskeren, Verdens Gang
14. Helen Sæter om Treholt-bløffen: - Ikke overrasket, Verdens Gang
15. Lurte Treholts advokat, NRK
16. Derfor publiserer VG lydopptakene, Verdens Gang
17. Bruktbilselgeren om Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen: «Han lurte på om jeg kjente noen som kunne manipulere bilder av Arne Treholt», Verdens Gang
18. Testament-bløffen, VG
19. Oslo-politiet vurderer bredere etterforskning av Malthe-Sørenssen, VG
20. Sannhet til salgs, VG
21. Malthe-Sørenssen tar med seg Treholts venner på vei ned, Dagbladet
22. Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen etterforskes for millionbedrageri, Aftenposten
23. Politiet til VG: Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen mistenkt for å ha diktet opp avlytting, Verdens Gang
24. Aktor ber om fire års fengsel for Malthe-Sørenssen