Former aides say officials have failed to tell the truth

Two former ministerial aides have sharply criticised the handling of Guðmundur Ingi Kristinsson’s removal as education minister and the government’s responses to questions about the decision, mbl.is reported. Speaking on the latest episode of the Spursmál programme, Brynjar Níelsson and Lísa Kristjánsdóttir said the case had been badly mishandled and called for clear answers from those responsible.

“It looks to me as if people simply cannot tell the truth,” Brynjar said when asked how he viewed the case. He said that could explain why answers to media questions had been slow to come. In his view, officials should have said plainly if Guðmundur Ingi no longer had their confidence.

“I think this is an incredible mess and an incredible lack of respect,” Brynjar said, adding that he considered it disrespectful both to the media and the public.

Lísa agreed that the case was, at best, very strange. She questioned the role of Guðbjörg Inga Magnúsdóttir, Guðmundur Ingi’s aide, who is also the wife of Ragnar Þór Ingólfsson, the minister who took over after Guðmundur Ingi left office. Guðbjörg sent Guðmundur Ingi a message saying he needed to go, Lísa said.

“For an aide to one minister to send their own minister a message saying that person needs to leave, I find that strange,” she said. Lísa also questioned Ragnar Þór’s explanation that he had not known about the matter.

She said the discussion had become personal, with people blocking one another on Facebook, but argued that the more serious issue was whether someone had failed to tell the truth.

The programme also discussed the fact that Guðmundur Ingi was recovering from major heart surgery when he received messages about leaving office. Brynjar said the way the situation had been handled was distressing, describing a series of missteps: appointing him to the position, removing him from it and then being unable to explain the decision.

Lísa said the question of whether Guðmundur Ingi was capable of doing the job was secondary. Those who appointed him should be held accountable for that decision, she said. “Now we are looking at how he was removed from office. I think that is the main issue.”