Faroese court disqualifies defence lawyer in major fraud case

The Faroese Court has disqualified lawyer Christian Andreasen from representing Janus Petersen, the former CEO of Føroya Banki, in a high-profile fraud trial, according to a ruling issued Friday by the country’s public broadcaster KVF.

Andreasen, who was personally requested by Petersen as his defence counsel, will appeal the decision to the Faroese Supreme Court. The court’s ruling also revokes his appointment in the case, which centres on allegations of serious financial fraud (mvg-svik) involving Petersen’s property development and sales through two companies, Frami and Frami Bygging.

Prosecutors argued that Andreasen’s prior professional involvement with Petersen created a conflict of interest. Evidence presented to the court showed that Andreasen had established and registered the companies Frami and Frami Bygging on Petersen’s behalf and assisted in drafting documents related to property sales—key elements of the fraud charges. Chief prosecutor Katrin Thorsvig Hansen, who had pushed for the court to assess Andreasen’s impartiality, declined to comment on the ruling but underscored the importance of ensuring no perception of bias among legal participants.

Andreasen maintains he only handled routine formalities—tasks he claimed any legal clerk could have performed—before his appointment and denies any substantive conflict. The court’s decision cites Section 742 of Faroese procedural law, which bars defence lawyers if their prior roles or relationships with the accused or victims could undermine impartiality, including acting as a witness, legal representative for opposing interests, or in conflicting capacities.