A major human trafficking trial in southern Norway is likely to be suspended for its main defendant after an appeal court allowed him to replace his entire defence team, the Norwegian broadcaster NRK reports.
The 28-year-old, on trial at Nedre Telemark district court, is accused of trafficking women from Colombia for prostitution and of ordering a killing in Colombia. He denies those charges but has admitted pimping. The trial is in its sixth week and the case file runs to more than 31,000 pages.
His original lead counsel, Knut-Erik Storlykken Søvik, was arrested last week and held overnight on suspicion of tampering with evidence. He denies wrongdoing and says he could not continue in the case. A lawyer for two of the three alleged victims said having to give evidence again would be very hard for them.
Source: NRK
