Former municipal council president in Fjallabyggð convicted of embezzlement remains undisclosed

A former municipal council president in Fjallabyggð was convicted of embezzlement four years ago, yet the ruling has not been publicly disclosed until now. This lack of transparency has raised questions, as the court did not provide an explanation for why the ruling remained unpublished.

Magnús Stefán Jónasson, previously the office manager of Afls sparisjóðs, received a two-year prison sentence in 2020, with 21 months suspended. He also paid Arion Bank, which acquired Afls, 7.5 million Icelandic krónur in restitution. An additional 4.5 million krónur were forfeited from the company Bási ehf.

Magnús, who was once the mayor of Fjallabyggð, requested to resign when the investigation into his actions began. In a 2018 civil case, he was ordered to pay Arion Bank over 51 million krónur due to alleged misconduct during his tenure. In 2019, he faced criminal charges for embezzlement, breach of trust, and money laundering.

The courts are responsible for the publication of rulings, but judges can grant exceptions to the rule requiring a decision to be published within five working days. In 2022, 45% of court rulings in North East Iceland remained unpublished.

As the investigation into this case unfolded over six years, it had garnered significant media attention, highlighting the need for regulatory reforms in the publication of court decisions to ensure accountability and transparency in the justice system.