According to an announcement made by the Church of Iceland in Norway, the organization’s treasurer has resigned from the board of the congregation due to the possible embezzlement of funds. The church says that there is reasonable suspicion of embezzlement and he has been reported to the police.
The suspect has worked for the congregation since he was elected to the board in 2018; before this, he held the position of the congregation’s Chief of Staff.
This is the second time in almost three years that a member of the Church of Iceland in Norway has been accused of embezzlement.
In 2019, the chairman of the congregation resigned, but then it was discovered that he had in several cases misused credit cards. At the time, the organization decided not to report the matter to the police. Instead, the church board requested that the chairman reimburse the congregation for the embezzlement he made.
About 6000 people were registered in the religious association in Norway in 2019. Still, the Norwegian state pays a certain amount per month for each registered individual to the Church of Iceland in Norway.