Jakob Scharf, the former head of domestic intelligence agency PET and the first man to fall in what has now been dubbed the ‘Christiania Case’, has landed a new job with the national police force, Rigspolitiet.
And just one day after Scharf’s new position with Rigspolitiet was announced, the same organisation cleared Scharf and other PET officials of allegations of abusing power and exploiting travel rules.
In November, a group of PET employees filed a complaint alleging that the agency’s leadership, including Scharf, overspent on travel and displayed poor overall leadership.
Rigspolitiet: No abuse of power
An internal investigation by Rigspolitiet, Scharf’s new employer, has concluded that there were no signs of errors or abuse among 94 working trips carried out by PET’s leadership between the period of January 2011 through October 2013.
According to Politiken newspaper, Rigspolitiet's investigation did turn up one example of overpaying for a hotel room and a few examples of flying first class, but Rigspolitiet ruled that PET officials had legitimate reasons for those occasions.
Scharf’s new position with Rigspolitiet as a commissioner was criticised by Dansk Folkeparti’s Peter Skaarup.
“Even though Jakob Scharf in his time at PET did good things related to fighting terror, he was also responsible for making PET a very poorly functioning workplace,” Skaarup told TV2 News. “It is wrong to reward the person behind that with a secure job with Rigspolitiet.”
READ MORE: Leader of domestic intelligence agency quits
Messy year for PET
The original complaints by the PET employees led to the resignation of the agency’s head of administration, Mette Lyster Knudsen, in November. Scharf left the organisation in December under scrutiny over the illegal prying into Pia Kjærsgaard's personal calendar. The same scandal also cost Morten Bødskov (S) the job of justice minister and led to an official reprimand for PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt (S).
PET has also been at the centre of controversy regarding the use of Muslim convert and former biker gang member Morten Storm as a cover agent.
Scharf was replaced as the head of PET by Jens Madsen.
