The woman described by British media as the “femme fatale” who started the police investigation of Baugur is participating in the Reykjavík City primaries.
Jónína Benediktsdóttir, Icelandic health guru, university student, and advocate for ethics in business, better known internationally as the ex – girlfriend of the father of Baugur CEO Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson, is putting her name forward for the fifth slot on the city council slate of the Independence Party.
In a press release she states, “Even though I have not been active in politics, except for serving on the delegates’ committee of the Independence Party in Reykjavík, I have, for the last few years, closely monitored politics, people and issues. I have been active in the discussion on a better, and more healthy society and been against oligopoly, corruption and poverty and inaction in the matters of the sick and needy.”
Morgunbladid quotes her saying that she believes the Independence Party needs more women with a broader view and more experience from the business world.
Earlier this summer Icelandic television station Stöd 2 reported on an article in the British daily the Independent where Jónína is described as attacking Baugur CEO Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson and starting the police investigation of Baugur. A source quoted in the article says that her attacks are based on anger and bitterness towards Jón Ásgeir and his family. Jónína responded by calling the allegations in the British media “abuse of the power of money”, she had heard it all before, the allegations revealed the mindset of certain “little boys” whom she did not wish to argue with in the media.