Control visits from police and taxes were scheduled
« It was unannounced to me »
At a press conference he called the Razzia unannounced, but new information and his own admission reveal the opposite.
Otherwise, it began with great confidence. Hallgren proudly said the authorities had been over and found « zero holes ». But behind the scenes, Novo had already warned his subcontractors in February that a control visit was on the way – focusing on foreign labor.
Internal emails from the Novo-owned consulting firm NNE show how the information was sent around to the companies shortly before the authorities appeared.
When Ekstra Bladet confronted Michael Hallgren, he changed explanation. At first he maintained that the visit was unannounced to him in person. But he also acknowledged that a planning meeting had taken place between Novo and the police prior to the check:
« No, not if we take it 100 percent black and white, » it said when asked if the inspection visit was unannounced. « But I think it is unannounced to those it must be unannounced to. »
The Tax Agency confirms that the visit was notified as an exception to their normal practice. Usually, inspection visits occur unannounced precisely to avoid employers from hiding illegal conditions.
