Generals reprimanded over incorrect prisoner numbers
Two top-ranked military officers received mild reprimands while three others were acquitted for their roles in former Defence Minister Søren Gade's (Venstre) erroneous response to parliament regarding Iraqi prisoners in 2007. Lieutenant General Poul Kiærskou, Denmark’s NATO representative, will receive an official warning while Major General Henrik Røboe Dam will be slapped with an official reprimand. The men said in 2007 that Danish soldiers had taken 198 prisoners in Iraq since 2003, but the actual number was much higher. – Politiken
Councils halt independent schools
Several councils are actively trying to hinder the construction of independent schools in a bid to save more money, according to Jyllands-Posten newspaper. Councils have been shutting down hundreds of public schools in recent years in money-saving efforts. A number of council mayors and local politicians have now appealed to the education minister, Christine Antorini (Socialdemokraterne), asking her to make it more difficult to establish independent schools. – Jyllands-Posten
Player named in match-fixing probe
National football organisation DBU revealed yesterday that Kristoffer Wichmann from FC Vestsjælland was involved in a match-fixing case and banned for six months. DBU alleges that Wichmann committed ‘Level 2’ match-fixing, which means that he bet on his own matches. The case is the first of its kind in Denmark. Wichmann, 31, denied the allegations, saying that DBU is using him to gain political publicity. – Tipsbladet
Growth packages could be duds
The growth packages that politicians and business organisations are busy peddling at the moment in a bid to save the Danish economy won’t have much effect, according to several financial experts. The government has plans to introduce a growth package around March 1, but industry advocates Dansk Industri and think-tank Cepos argue that the government should instead focus on long-term goals, such as lowering company taxes from 25 to 20 percent. – Berlingske
