Monday 14 September the Oslo City Court in Norway ruled that the DNV GL employee charged with espionage should be released. PST responded with an appeal, and the appeal has now been heard in an appeal court and the ruling is that the suspect will remain in custody. Before the Oslo City Cort ruling was made 14 September, PST amended the charges to also include corruption and aggravated corruption.
The core of this matter for DNV GL is a breach of trust by one of our employees. Our approach to this case remains the same as it has been from the day of the court’s first ruling, which referred to the suspect acknowledging having sold information to a third party.
We are in continuous dialogue with our customers and we are grateful for their cooperation and understanding. DNV GL is, though, restricted from communicating about certain topics by employment law and the ongoing investigation. Given its role and extensive mandate PST is in a different position than DNV GL to reveal criminal activity.
DNV GL is working closely with PST and we remain mindful of the legal process. However, if new and relevant information comes to light during the criminal investigation, we will prioritize working with PST to inform the appropriate customers.
DNV GL operates a strict compliance programme to international ISO standards, including ISO 27001, to which Oil & Gas is certified by DEKRA. All employees and suppliers are contractually required to abide by our Code of Conduct, which includes adherence to anti-corruption, antitrust, export control and data protection laws. DNV GL employees are contractually obligated to strict client confidentiality and undergo background checks before employment. All employees receive mandatory training on reporting actual or suspected misconduct throughout their career with the company, including concerns related to bribery, fraud, labour grievances, discrimination and other ethical issues. Our IT systems operate to international standards for cybersecurity and data protection, which includes routines for access to documents.