State prosecutor Björn L. Bergsson told reporters that he sees no reason to initiate a criminal case against former Prime Minister and former Central Bank chairman (and current editor of Morgunblaðið) Davíð Oddsson.
Björn announced his decision to members of the parliamentary committee in charge of deciding which, if any, public officials could be charged for mismanagement or negligence in the time leading up to the fall 2008 economic crash. Apart from Oddsson, Central Bank board members Eiríkur Guðnason and Ingimundur Friðriksson were also absolved, as was director of the Financial Supervisory Group Jónas Fr. Jónsson.
Björn’s reasoning behind his decision was simply that after reviewing the facts brought forth in the Special Investigative Commission (SIC) report, he saw no reason to pursue criminal charges against any of these men.
Oddsson is featured prominently in the report, where he largely depicts himself as being lied to by Icelandic banks about what they were really up to. Others, in turn, depict Oddsson as having many people – including the former Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde himself – under a grip of fear. Oddsson has maintained that he is innocent of any wrongdoing.