PM blackmail: “Speculation and hearsay”
The “damaging information” contained in the blackmail letter sent to the Prime Minister of Iceland a few days ago is based on “speculation and hearsay”, according to the PM himself. In the meantime, one of the two sisters arrested on Friday for having sent the letter has stated that she had had “nothing to do with writing or sending the letter”.
An official statement from Prime Minister Gunnlaugsson confirms that “[t]he letter indicated that if the demands were not met, or if the police were contacted, the media would be informed of the affair”.
No financial ties
“In light of the news items appearing today in connection with the threats made, I should like to make clear that I have no financial ties to Björn Ingi Hrafnsson and was in no way involved with Vefpressan’s purchase of DV.”
The letter was apparently addressed to the PM’s wife and the whole family is said to have been in shock.
“I had nothing to do with writing or sending the letter”
Initial police reports on the incident indicated that both sisters had admitted sending the letter, but this has now been denied.
One of the duo, named as Malín Brand, claims that her sister, Hlín Einarsdóttur, involved her in the affair. “I had nothing to do with writing or sending the letter,” states Brand. “I was just in the car with my sister. […] I regret my involvement in this affair. My mistake was clearly being there rather than declining to go along in the first place.”
A representative of the Reykjavik Metropolitan Police has admitted that it would have been more appropriate to have said earlier that both women had admitted their involvement in the affair, rather than that they had both admitted sending the letter.
