Summary In 2012, Oslo Police reportedly closed the investigation on evidential grounds and recommended that the public prosecutor dismiss the case against Zahoor. However, the file remained open for years.
OSLO (Dunya News) - Norway’s top prosecuting authority has dismissed a 16-year-old fraud case involving Norwegian-Pakistani businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor, concluding that the available evidence was insufficient to prosecute him or justify keeping the case open, according to legal documents.
The decision effectively closes the long-running case and directs Norwegian law-enforcement agencies to take the necessary steps to withdraw any still-active wanted-person alerts or notices issued against Zahoor, including those with international implications.
Zahoor had been wanted in connection with an alleged multi-million-kroner fraud involving Nordea in 2010. He consistently denied any involvement in the alleged fraud and challenged the case on several occasions, maintaining that Norwegian authorities lacked evidence linking him to the offence.
The case dates back to 2010, although Zahoor has maintained that he had not travelled to Norway since 2005. Norwegian authorities later sought his extradition from the United Arab Emirates, but the UAE declined the request, citing insufficient evidence against him.
According to court documents, Norwegian law-enforcement authorities began investigating the matter in 2010, with Zahoor becoming part of the investigation and cooperating with police through his lawyers.
In 2012, Oslo Police reportedly closed the investigation on evidential grounds and recommended that the public prosecutor dismiss the case against Zahoor. However, the file remained open for years.
The case was subsequently reviewed by Norway’s chief prosecutor after Zahoor initiated legal proceedings against senior Norwegian prosecutor Carl Graff Hartmann, accusing him of repeatedly targeting him and providing what Zahoor described as false and defamatory information to Norwegian media.
Zahoor alleged that Hartmann had acted in coordination with the right-wing Norwegian tabloid Verdens Gang (VG) and had pursued a personal campaign against him. These allegations are disputed and form part of separate legal proceedings.
Following the referral for review, the chief prosecutor examined the case and decided to dismiss it completely, citing the state of the evidence.
The Norwegian decision and an investigation report by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) were also cited in a May 2023 decision by Lahore judicial magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk, who cleared Zahoor in two fraud and money-laundering cases registered against him in Pakistan in 2020.
Reacting to the Norwegian decision through his lawyer, Zahoor said he was relieved that the case had finally been brought to an end by the same Norwegian authorities that had originally pursued it.
“I am thankful to the prosecutor who saw through the facts and dismissed the case, which was based on untruths,” Zahoor said.
