Former chairman of Kaupthing Bank Sigurdur Einarsson claimed in an interview with Stöd 2’s business program Markadurinn that governor and chairman of the Central Bank, Davíd Oddsson, had threatened to cause difficulties to the bank if he didn’t withdraw his application for euro as the bank’s operational currency.
Sigurdur Einarsson. Copyright: Icelandic Photo Agency.
According to Einarsson, he and Oddsson had a row during the International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting in Washington last year during which Oddsson had made the aforementioned threat, Fréttabladid reports.
“These accusations are very serious and must be reviewed like anything else related to the events leading up to these misfortunes [the crisis],” said Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, leader of the Left-Greens, the largest opposition party.
When approached by Fréttabladid, Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde said he had not looked into Einarsson’s claims and that he would not comment on them for the time being.
Minister of Commerce Björgvin G. Sigurdsson pointed towards an extensive investigation into the events leading up to the crisis, which will soon be undertaken by both domestic and foreign experts.
“Nothing will be left uninvestigated. If Sigurdur [Einarsson] is making such claims it is natural that they will be included in the investigation,” Sigurdsson said, adding that this case is mainly between Einarsson and Oddsson and that it is not a reason for speeding up the investigation.
