Iceland Review
05/09/2007
Applicant for public prosecutor withdraws application
Jóhannes Rúnar Jóhannsson, one of five applicants for public prosecutor, has withdrawn his application primarily because he believes Minister of Justice Björn Bjarnason has already reserved the position for someone else.
According to Fréttabladid, the minister had told applicants he would announce his decision last Friday, but on Friday he said his decision would be delayed.
“If you ask me, my feeling is that the position has already been assigned,” Jóhannsson said, explaining he suspected the current deputy police chief in the capital region, Jón H. B. Snorrason, would be the next public prosecutor.
Bjarnason denied the position had been reserved for anyone. “I told applicants they could expect a decision before or after last weekend. Then one of the applicants withdrew his application and that made matters more complicated.”
Bjarnason would not reveal when he would reach his final decision, but said it may have to wait until after the elections on Saturday.
Fréttabladid was unsuccessful in reaching Snorrason.