The decision of Reykjavík Chief of Police Sigríður Björk Guðjónsdóttir to relieve a police officer in the narcotics division of his duties has been reported to the Ministry of the Interior, according to RÚV. The outcome will be clear later this month. A district prosecutor dismissed the case yesterday, but it has been under investigation for almost half a year. “One could argue that his reputation has been taken from him and his career ruined,” stated the officer’s lawyer, Kristján Thorlacius. “There is no doubt that my client has been wrongly accused.”
According to Kolbrún Benediktsdóttir, deputy district prosecutor, the conclusion to dismiss the case was decisive. Sources told RÚV that the issue can, to some extent, be traced to communication difficulties within the narcotics division, to rumor and possibly to disagreement among staff members.
Kristján believes the most serious issue is how far the case was allowed to go. The police chief relieved the officer of his duties for all this time, he said. He added that no decision has been made regarding filing a damage claim. “My client has clearly suffered substantial damage. He has been paid a 50 percent base salary the whole time,” aside from the damage to his reputation and career, he stated.
