Norway ex minister charged for abusing refugees sexually

Norway's former fisheries minister Svein Ludvigsen has been charged with abusing his position to acquire sexual intercourse with three male asylum seekers, public broadcaster NRK reported Wednesday.

Ludvigsen, 72, was Norway's Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs from 2001 to 2005 and was County Governor of Troms from 2006 to 2014.

The violations occurred during the period when Ludvigsen was the county governor in Troms and happened at the county hall in the Arctic city of Tromso and at various hotels in Oslo, the report said.

According to the report, Ludvigsen used his position to mislead the men that he could provide them with housing and residence permit in Norway.

States lawyer Tor Borge Nordmo said at a press conference in Tromso on Wednesday morning that the case will probably be scheduled sometime before summer 2019.

Ludvigsen had previously been arrested on Jan. 3, 2018 and charged with exploiting his position to acquire sexual intercourse with one man.

He had been detained for five weeks, and after release the charge against him was extended to violation against three men, NRK reported.

Ludvigsen has rejected all the allegations in the indictment and claimed that he is innocent.