Staff shortage delayed Bakkafrost case, chief prosecutor says

A staff shortage was one reason it took more than four years to bring the case against Bakkafrost into the judicial system, Chief Prosecutor Katrin Thorsvig Hansen told KVF.

The Food and Veterinary Authority reported Bakkafrost in December 2021 for alleged breaches of the transport regulation and the lice regulation. Charges were not filed until April.

The Faroe Islands Court has now ruled that the case remained inactive for too long and is time-barred.

The case has also prompted questions about whether the separation of powers was respected. KVF said it had been unable to secure an interview with Chief of Police Michael Boolsen. Bárður Larsen, head of legal studies at the University of the Faroe Islands, declined to comment, saying he wanted to avoid speaking about a high-profile case involving the country’s largest company, the Food and Veterinary Authority and the chief of police.