Source title in the reading translation: Do we have widespread corruption in one of the world's least corrupt countries?
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People named in the source texts
People in the archive (4)
- John Knudsen — Mentioned in the current archived text
- Peter Hansen — Mentioned in the current archived text
- Rudi Hønborg Benkjer — Mentioned in the current archived text
- Susanne Vestergren Koch Nielsen — Mentioned in the current archived text
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This is an automatic reading translation. The source’s allegations and assessments have not been independently confirmed through translation. Check wording, qualifications and meaning against the preserved Danish original. Some retained numbers may use Danish separators: a dot for thousands and a comma for decimals. Check amounts against the Danish original.
Text version dated 13 Sep 2024
Do we have widespread corruption in one of the world's least corrupt countries? When Hotel Sønderborg Kaserne wanted to build a motel on the barracks grounds, Sønderborg Kommune's urban planner and conservation architect, Rudi Hønborg Benkjer was very clear in his announcements. No exemption could be granted for new construction within the existing local plan.
In other words, it would require a local plan amendment. A majority of the politicians were apparently also in favor of it, although Venstre, DF and Liberal Alliance were against it. Peter Hansen and Venstre both in the city council hall, in JydskeVestkysten and FB the Politics side in Sønderborg placed great emphasis on the fact that the local plans were there to be complied with.
Peter Hansen (V) wrote: "Local plans must be trusted, otherwise you undermine the credibility of municipal planning." However, the benevolence of the majority never materialized because Danfoss / BMC Fonden did not want a motel near their properties, Sergenten and Alsik, and therefore completely overrode the elected officials' decision. The politicians corrected, as usual, and then the case was closed. When the impossible must be made possible But a new construction case had already started.
On the neighboring plot, which housed Sergenten, a smoking shed was needed. Therefore, Danfoss/BMC Fonden built a smoking shed. Now it doesn't sound like much, but in fact it turned into a new building of 131 square meters divided into 82 for storage, 30 for waste room and 19 for covered smoking room.
So a serious new building in the area where Rudi had clearly rejected the possibility of a dispensation. It should be impossible to get without demolishing buildings as compensation (which Hotel Sønderborg Kaserne had actually been willing to do in their case). The new building was also problematic on a number of other points.
For example, they wanted it built right up against the neighboring boundary to Hotel Sønderborg Kaserne. Normally, there should be 2,5 m from neighbor boundary. There were problems with noise and odor nuisance from the depot/waste room, as it was close to both a Hotel and a Hospital.
In addition, there were challenges with access and fire roads (you may recall that the municipality initially simply confiscated part of Hotel Sønderborg Kaserne's land to solve that problem) – and a long list of additional complications. But they built loosely and left all the challenges to the municipality. A "friendly" touch on the stomach When Danfoss/BMC Fonden has a wish, it is allowed.
Therefore, the same Rudi Hønborg Benkjer, despite earlier rejection of the possibility, immediately granted a temporary dispensation for the new construction. Of course, you don't eat Danfoss / BMC Fonden off with a temporary dispensation. Dad wasn't just disappointed, he was angry.
This was reflected in the municipality's internal correspondence, where a friendly tap on the stomach triggered these emails: "Hello Rudi John Knudsen, BMC called yesterday and would really like if I could send him an email describing why it is that only a temporary dispensation from the local plan (construction site) is given for the depot building and not a permanent one. He has some upstairs he needs to calm down now that they are building a brand new building. He needs something that can describe that it won't be a problem when it expires....
Can you write it in a different way or add something to reassure them? Hope you can help... Sincerely, Susanne Koch Nielsen, Business Service Sønderborg Kommune” “Hello Susanne.
See if it can be used. The dispensation can last at most until the 24. January 2023, as we have other temporary dispensations that expire on this date, in which case a new local plan for the area must be drawn up.
This means that we then have the opportunity to include any changes (construction site) in the new local plan that must be drawn up in connection with the expired temporary dispensations. According to current plans, the new local plan for the barracks area will be initiated during 2022. Should it happen that the local plan is not completed in time before the expiry of the temporary dispensation, we still have the option of extending this, as well as other temporary dispensations in the area.
However, this is not expected to be necessary.” Sincerely, Sønderborg Kommune, City & Landscape Rudi Hønborg Benkjer Hi Rudi Many thanks - I'll try to send that to him and we'll see if he doesn't "calm down" ;-) Regards, Susanne What Rudi tells you is that Danfoss/BMC Fonden needn't be worried. He and Sønderborg Kommune intend to make sure that all the building code violations are approved. And quite rightly so.
A few months after he had clearly explained that there was no possibility of new construction on the barracks area without corresponding demolition – Rudi Hønborg Benkjer gives a permanent dispensation for Danfoss/BMC Fonden's new construction. The same municipal official who years ago had made a reconstruction of Skansegården impossible, time and time again made such extreme and detailed demands that they were impossible to honor. And the man who a few months earlier had flatly denied that new construction on the barracks area was possible within the framework of the law.
What has made this stubborn of a civil servant drop all his principles? Good words? Threats?
Money under the table? The latter is hardly the case. Denmark is known as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, right?
Overruled by Planklagenævnet The suspected case of questionable official conduct was presented to the Board of Planning Appeals and they refused to approve the dispensation and thus overruled Rudy's decision. So actually the building should have been demolished on 24. January 2023, but it is still there.
The case should perhaps also have required an internal investigation, which we doubt has happened. There is little doubt that Sergenten will be allowed to keep their new extension. Sønderborg Kommune is just making a new local plan, and you as a taxpayer finance that work.
Friends in high places It is therefore good to have friends in all the places in the system where decisions are made and where the legislation apparently opens up the possibility of very broad interpretations. It is possible that Danfoss/BMC Fonden outwardly appears as the rich uncle who generously distributes (deductible) gifts. But... it's also an uncle who gets paid well for the generosity.
Of course, Rudi has not made mistakes after mistakes after mistakes without any bosses holding their hand over him. This is not the first case where the municipality has adapted the law depending on who is asking. The question is just how high up in the system it goes, but there is no interest in investigating that in Sønderborg.
The newspapers and the authorities look away while the serial-bankruptcy entrepreneur and his friends have free rein. Photo: Sønderborg Kommune
Original source text
Read the Danish original
Source title: Har vi omfattende korruption i et af verdens mindst korrupte lande?
Text version dated 13 Sep 2024
Har vi omfattende korruption i et af verdens mindst korrupte lande? Da Hotel Sønderborg Kaserne ønskede at bygge et motel på kaserneområdet, var Sønderborg Kommunes byplanlægger og bevaringsarkitekt, Rudi Hønborg Benkjer meget klar i sine udmeldinger. Der kunne ikke gives dispensation til nybyggeri inden for den eksisterende lokalplan.
Altså ville det kræve en lokalplanændring. Det var et flertal af politikerne sådan set også indstillede på, selvom Venstre, DF og Liberal Alliance var imod. Peter Hansen og Venstre lagde både i byrådssalen, i JydskeVestkysten og FB-siden Politik i Sønderborg stor vægt på, at lokalplanerne var til for at blive overholdt.
Peter Hansen (V) skrev: ”Lokalplaner skal man kunne stole på, ellers udhuler man troværdigheden til den kommunale planlægning.” Flertallets velvilje blev dog aldrig aktuelt, fordi Danfoss / BMC Fonden ikke ville have et motel i nærheden af deres ejendomme, Sergenten og Alsik, og derfor helt overtrumfede de folkevalgtes beslutning. Politikerne rettede, helt som sædvanligt, ind - og så var den sag lukket. Når det umulige skal muliggøres Men en ny byggesag var allerede gået i gang.
På nabogrunden, der husede Sergenten, havde man nemlig brug for et rygeskur. Derfor byggede Danfoss/BMC Fonden et rygeskur. Nu lyder det ikke af meget, men faktisk blev det til en ny bygning på 131 kvm fordelt på 82 til depot, 30 til affaldsrum og 19 til overdækket rygerum.
Altså en seriøs nybygning i det område, hvor Rudi klar havde afvist muligheden for dispensation. Det burde være umuligt at få uden at nedrive bygninger som kompensation (hvilket Hotel Sønderborg Kaserne faktisk havde været villige til at gøre i deres tilfælde). Nybygningen var også problematisk på en lang række andre punkter.
Eksempelvis ønskede man den bygget helt op mod naboskel til Hotel Sønderborg Kaserne. Normalt skal der være 2,5 m fra naboskel. Der var problemer med støj- og lugtgener fra depot/affaldsrummet, da det lå tæt på både et Hotel og et Sygehus.
Desuden var der udfordringer med tilkørsel og brandveje (du husker måske, at kommunen i første omgang blot konfiskerede en del af Hotel Sønderborg Kasernes grund for at løse det problem) – og en lang liste af yderligere komplikationer. Men man byggede løs og overlod alle udfordringerne til kommunen. Et ”venligt” tryk på maven Når Danfoss/BMC Fonden har et ønske, er det lov.
Derfor gav samme Rudi Hønborg Benkjer, trods tidligere afvisning af muligheden, straks en midlertidig dispensation til nybyggeriet. Man spiser naturligvis ikke Danfoss / BMC Fonden af med en midlertidig dispensation. Far var ikke blot skuffet, han var vred.
Det afspejledes i kommunens interne korrespondance, hvor et venlig tryk på maven udløste disse mails: ”Hej Rudi John Knudsen, BMC ringede i går og ville rigtigt gerne om jeg kunne sende ham en mail der beskriver hvorfor det er der kun gives midlertidig dispensation fra lokalplanen (byggefeltet) til depotbygningen og ikke en permanent. Han har nogle opadtil han har brug for at berolige når nu de bygger en helt ny bygning. Han har brug for noget der kan beskrive, at det ikke bliver et problem når den udløber....
Kan man skrive det på en anden måde eller tilføje et eller andet der kan berolige dem? Håber du kan hjælpe... Venlig hilsen Susanne Koch Nielsen, Erhvervsservice Sønderborg Kommune” ”Hej Susanne.
Se om det kan bruges. Dispensationen kan maksimalt vare indtil den 24. januar 2023, da vi har andre midlertidige dispensationer der udløber denne dato, hvor der i den forbindelse skal udarbejdes en ny lokalplan for området. Dette betyder, at vi så har mulighed for at medtage evt. ændringer (byggefeltet) i den nye lokalplan der skal udarbejdes i forbindelse med de udløbne midlertidig dispensationer.
Ifølge nuværende planer igangsættes den nye lokalplan for kaserneområdet i løbet af 2022. Skulle det ske, at lokalplanen ikke bliver færdig rettidigt inden udløb af den midlertidige dispensation, har vi fortsat mulighed for at forlænge denne, samt øvrige midlertidige dispensationer i området. Dette forventes dog ikke at blive nødvendigt.” Venlig hilsen Sønderborg Kommune, By & Landskab Rudi Hønborg Benkjer Hej Rudi Mange tak – det prøver jeg at sende til ham så ser vi om der ikke kommer ”ro på” ;-) Hilsen Susanne Det Rudi fortæller er, at Danfoss/BMC Fonden ikke behøver at være bekymrede.
Han og Sønderborg Kommune har tænkt sig at sørge for, at alle overtrædelserne af byggelovgivningen nok skal blive godkendt. Og ganske rigtigt. Få måneder efter at han klart havde forklaret, at der ikke var mulighed for nybyggeri på kaserneområdet uden tilsvarende nedrivning– giver Rudi Hønborg Benkjer en permanent dispensation til Danfoss/BMC Fondens nybyggeri.
Den samme kommunale embedsmand, som for år tilbage havde umuliggjort en genopbygning af Skansegården, ved gang på gang at stille så ekstreme og detaljerede krav, at de var umulige at honorere. Og manden der få måneder tidligere blankt havde afvist, at nybyggeri på kaserneområdet var muligt inden for lovens rammer. Hvad har fået denne stivstikker af en embedsmand til at droppe alle sine principper?
Gode ord? Trusler? Penge under bordet?
Det sidste er næppe tilfældet. Danmark er jo kendt som et af de mindst korrupte lande i verden, ikke? Underkendt af Planklagenævnet Det suspekte tilfælde af tvivlsom embedsførelse blev fremlagt for planklagenævnet, og de afviste at godkende dispensationen og underkendte altså Rudys afgørelse.
Så faktisk skulle bygningen have været revet ned den 24. januar 2023, men den står der stadig. Sagen burde måske også have krævet en intern undersøgelse, hvilket vi dog tvivler på er sket. Der er næppe tvivl om, at Sergenten får lov at beholde deres nye tilbygning.
Sønderborg Kommune laver bare en ny lokalplan, og det arbejde finansierer du som skatteborger. Friends in high places Det er altså godt at have venner på alle de steder i systemet, hvor beslutningerne tages, og hvor lovgivningen tilsyneladende åbner mulighed for meget rummelige fortolkninger. Det er muligt, at Danfoss/BMC Fonden udadtil fremstår som den rige onkel, der generøst deler (fradragsberettigede) gaver ud.
Men… det er altså også en onkel, der tager sig godt betalt for gavmildheden. Rudi har selvfølgelig ikke begået fejl på fejl på fejl uden at nogen chefer holder hånden over ham. Dette er ikke første sag, hvor kommunen har tilpasset loven alt efter, hvem der spørger.
Spørgsmålet er bare, hvor højt op i systemet det går, men det er der ingen interesse for at undersøge i Sønderborg. Aviserne og myndighederne kigger væk, mens konkursrytteren og hans venner har frit spil. Foto: Sønderborg Kommune
Images and document images
Sources and original references
- Facebook · 13 Sep 2024
- Skansegården · Sources and original references
- https://site.dybbolbanke.dk/har-vi-omfattende-korruption-i-et-af-verdens-mindst-korrupte-lande#h.onh4sikr08qn
- https://site.dybbolbanke.dk/har-vi-omfattende-korruption-i-et-af-verdens-mindst-korrupte-lande#h.os094r5abr2k
- https://site.dybbolbanke.dk/har-vi-omfattende-korruption-i-et-af-verdens-mindst-korrupte-lande#h.knj2q6hmg9uf
- https://site.dybbolbanke.dk/har-vi-omfattende-korruption-i-et-af-verdens-mindst-korrupte-lande#h.9pt8w2674n98
- https://site.dybbolbanke.dk/har-vi-omfattende-korruption-i-et-af-verdens-mindst-korrupte-lande#h.qbpqvp6wysi1