Two of the highest-ranking board members of domestic intelligence agency PET resigned with immediate effect yesterday, Ekstra Bladet tabloid reports.
National police force Rigspolitiet confirmed the departure of PET's head of the operational command, Magnus Andresen, and police inspector, Jesper Grønbech.
According to Ekstra Bladet, the two were forced to leave due to their involvement in the controversial management of the intelligence agency that last fall cost former head of PET Jakob Scharf, head of administration, Mette Lyster Knudsen, and head of staff, Jacob Benzen, their jobs.
Didn't object to former PET head
Board members Andresen and Grønbech apparently didn't object to the way Scharf led the agency and treated his staff, which reportedly was through fear and intimidation of his employees.
Their departures coincide with the release of a critical report investigating the former PET administration.
READ MORE: Former PET head cleared of wrong-doing by new employer
The report was carried out by independent consultant Cairos Consult and states that Scharf – along with Mette Lyster Knudsen and the head of the legal department, Lykke Sørensen – controlled PET by limiting the influence of the remaining board members.
"The three remaining board members [Magnus Andresen, Jesper Grønbech and Anja Dalsgaard] do not actually function as board members, but they attend meetings with little to none influence," the report says, according to Ekstra Bladet.
PET had no comment yesterday on the board members' departure.
Cleared of wrong-doing
Last year was a messy one for PET. In November, a group representing 600 PET employees filed a complaint alleging that the agency’s leadership, including Scharf, overspent on travel and displayed poor overall leadership.
Scharf has since landed a new job at Rigspolitiet and just one day after his new position was announced, the same organisation cleared Scharf and other PET officials of allegations of abusing their power and exploiting travel rules.
Scharf was replaced as the head of PET by Jens Madsen.
