According to the Althingi banking report, of the twelve public figures legally allowed to respond to allegations ahead of time and have their opinions included in the final document, all placed the blame with others.
Despite their personal feelings, the report did make quite clear to state that ministers of the former government were guilty of extreme negligence in their duties leading up to, and immediately following, the banking crash.
Former Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde, Finance Minister Arni M. Mathiesen and Minister of Business Affairs Bjorgvin G. Sigurdsson are all singled out for their failings. All three were among those to have denied responsibility beforehand.
“Former Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde, Finance Minister Arni M. Mathiesen and Minister of Business Affairs Bjorgvin G. Sigurdsson are all singled out for their failings. All three were among those to have denied responsibility beforehand.”
How is it possible to DENY RESPONSIBILITY BEFOREHAND??
if I would be forced to appear in court because I wrongfully and fraudulently bankrupted a company, would I be able to get away with such a denial? Don’t think so.
So key players either deny all responsibility, even before the publication of the report or they just leave he country….
Iceland is doing a great job at punishing those responsible.
“How is it possible to DENY RESPONSIBILITY BEFOREHAND??
You are naive Niels :)
The lowest common denonomator in every European country has been for every player to stand up, deny responsibility and deflect blame.
Of course it is their right to do so, it is called getting the retaliation in first.
“if I would be forced to appear in court because I wrongfully and fraudulently bankrupted a company, would I be able to get away with such a denial? Don’t think so.”
What is the law of your land?
There is freedom of speech in Iceland.
Should a person be charged with offenses they do have the right to plead not guilty and guilt to the charges has to be proven in a court of law.
It is remarkable in your land that guilt is assumed before proof is legally established in a court of law :)
Knowless,
You seem to mix up the concepts of GUILT and RESPONSIBILITY.
These are different things.
Can you step into a court of law and claim that you will not be responsible, whatever the court decides?
I am not mixing up any concepts.
It is the courts which determine guilt.
People can claim to be not guilty before a charge is offered, after a charge is offered, in court and even after the verdict goes against them. As they say, the jails are full of folk who claim innocence.
Still, we the general public, do have a lot of information – enough information to form our own opinion of the players involved.
In democracy it is a right to deny but proving beyond reasonable doubt is the alternative specially because they are paid or earned millions to bankrupt Iceland. Is this good management worth millions a month ?
Knowless,
Well, you are.
I was talking about responsibility, you are talking about guilt.
But people in Iceland seem to have a problem differentiating between different things, like savings and investments for instance :-)
A country can be responsible for repaying the first 20 k of Icesave depositors without being guilty of anything :-)