Open Letter to the Office of the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg

RE:  Norway Corporate Corruption

To:

The Office of the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg

CC:

Directors of PGS Exploration UK Limited:  Rune O. Pedersen, PGS ASA CEO and President; Gottfred Langseth, PGS ASA CFO and EVP; Christin Steen-Nilsen, PGS ASA Chief Accountant

PGS ASA General Counsel, Lars Mysen

PGS UK Head of Legal, John Francas

Former PGS Exploration UK Limited Secretary, Carl Richards

PGS ASA Data Protection Officer, Daphne Bjerke

PGS ASA SVP Global Human Resources, Terje Bjølseth (Oversaw grievance process)

PGS UK Human Resources Manager, Gareth Jones

PGS ASA EVP Operations, Per Arild Reksnes (Oversaw grievance process)

RE:  Norway Corporate Corruption

Dear Madam Prime Minister Erna Solberg,

I am a USA citizen who worked for the UK affiliate of Norwegian company Petroleum Geo-Services ASA (now PGS ASA) [PGS].  The directors of PGS Exploration UK Limited (PGSUK) are Norwegian parent company executives.  PGSUK sponsored me and my dependent family members on a Tier 2 visa from 26 September 2010 through 31 December 2013.  My employment was terminated through my signing a settlement contract agreement (SCA).    

I believe that my human rights have been violated and that I was defrauded, defamed, illegally terminated from employment and then blacklisted for being a whistleblower.  What I ask for is a thorough and fair third-party police investigation into my allegations.  Much of the evidence backing my claims is posted on  https://marineseismicsurvey.com/news/.  I regard my postings as protected public disclosure, or whistleblowing.  PGS governance and personal data processing practices have been proven to me to be non-compliant, dysfunctional and corrupt.  Further, I do not want to believe that the Norwegian corporate executive class is above the law.  Are they?  (Sadly, thus far it seems that they are.)     

My writing to you is an act of desperation.  Sadly, I have found PGS corporate governance and compliance avenues of redress unresponsive to whistleblowing allegations of PGS executive criminal behaviors.  I am a victim of these alleged crimes.  In September 2018, PGS executives who serve as PGSUK directors, Rune O. Pedersen, PGS CEO and President; Gottfred Langseth, PGS CFO and EVP; and Christin Steen-Nilsen, PGS Chief Accountant, filed a criminal complaint against me in Thailand, where I was living with my Thai wife and children, for publications that I contended to be protected public disclosure, or whistleblowing.  An additional similar claim was filed against me by former PGSUK secretary, Carl Richards.  I believe that the claims filed in Thailand were illegal extortion intended to silence accusations made by a victim of their crimes.  PGS bypassed the confidentiality clauses of my original employment contract, as well as the terms and conditions of my termination settlement contract which were both governed by the Laws of England.  The UK Public Interests Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA), which protects whistleblowing, is referenced within the contract confidentiality clauses.  To avoid criminal prosecution in Thailand, I was compelled to sign another agreement that would “gag” my continued whistleblowing and essentially take away my rights under English law and contract.  I contend that the claims forwarded in Thailand breached the terms and conditions of my original employment contract (OEC) and subsequent termination settlement contract (SCA) and otherwise violated the confidentiality clauses which included PIDA protections.  I haven’t the financial resources to defend myself.  However, through online publications, I have challenged the legality (Norway/UK laws) of the claims put forward against me in Thailand.  PGS refuses to answer my concerns clearly and definitively.  Instead, I continue to be harassed and threatened with further criminal and civil prosecution in Thailand by the acting (English company) PGS UK Head of Legal, John Francas. 

My persecutor’s have virtually unlimited resources at their disposal to make my life hell.  How can I fight back alone?  The terms and conditions set forth in the Thailand agreement seem to also violate similar protections provided through Norway’s Working Environment Act (WEA).  My employment contracts with PGSUK were governed by the laws of England.  As recently as June 2018, Francas signed a letter where he reaffirmed the terms and conditions of the SCA were still in effect.  So, how did I end up defending claims translated from Thai language to English in Thailand last September?  I first published my allegations of PGS wrong-doing online the LinkedIN™ Pulse platform on 3 July 2015.  Any online publication which breached the confidentiality terms and conditions of the SCA should have been actionable.  In fact, it would have been irresponsible for the directors and secretary to not take such actions against publications which disparaged PGS or any of its agents.  Failing to take action until September 2018 seems to be negligence and a breach of their fiduciary duties.  It would also be a betrayal to any named subject who was wrongly accused of non-compliant and/or criminal behavior within my publications.  PGS never took any official action against me for numerous publications that were posted between 2015-2016. 

Throughout 2016, I intentionally made the PGS legal compliance office aware of my concerns and e-mailed them links to my many blog postings, and even sent complete articles for them to comment on.  Pedersen was employed as PGS General Counsel during this time.  I am convinced that Pedersen was directly involved in coordinating the original fraud as well as the creation and uttering of forged documents.  Pedersen has never even commented nor challenged my published online allegations.  Many of my publications focused on then PGS CEO and President and former PGSUK director, Jon Erik Reinhardsen (now Equinor Chairman of the Board) accusing him of wrong-doing.  Reinhardsen and his team never responded!  Similarly, Reinhardsen has never defended his decisions and actions nor stood-up or felt the need to exonerate falsely accused employees since 2015.  But, in September 2018, my publications, including a published and unanswered Open Letter to the Petroleum Geo-Services ASA Board of Directors, is criminal defamation in Thailand?  No one on the Board of Directors for PGS can answer simple questions?  It seems legally impossible that such claims can be forwarded in Thailand without being thoroughly investigated and vetted for compliance in Norway and/or the UK.  It demonstrates that directors of PGSUK were not engaged for several years.  These PGSUK directors should be removed and replaced, is the message that I get.  It is worse than that.  The former and current directors need to be investigated by law enforcement for their covering-up alleged illegal and violent behaviors perpetrated against me and my family.  This is shameless behavior.  No agent of PGS had ever even contacted me officially prior to the delivery of criminal claims to my wife’s house in Thailand.  This is not professional behavior aligned to published PGS Core Values and PGS Code of Conduct.  It was violent and mean-spirited.  And I will not be threatened into silence by incompetent and corrupt company officials, even if they reside in “corruption-free” Norway.         

In the USA, citizen’s have no qualms about speaking truth to or criticizing those who hold political power.  What is often more dangerous for whistleblowers is speaking truth to those with entrusted corporate power.  I could have never imagined the events of the past five years that have exacted such a toll on me and my family.  I am depressed and losing hope.  I have told PGS this.  Nonetheless, PGS just want me to be silent and let them live in their fantasy world of never being caught.  When I submitted my workplace grievance in 2013, I elaborated on the health issues and risks to organizations that workplace bullying and harassment cause.  PGS withheld health advice and care following my delivery of the formal grievance in 2013.  Rather than behave ethically and in accordance to the published policy, procedures, and values, PGS leadership decided to place my health and the health of my family at risk before accepting responsibility.  This is sick and evil behavior.  It violates the Norwegian Corporate Governance Code of Practice.  But, somehow, Reinhardsen escapes investigation and inquiry and ascends to become the Chairman of the Board for Norway’s largest corporation which is largely state owned?  Such allegations are a blemish to the reputation of Norway and should be investigated.  If the allegations are true, and I believe that they are, then Norway is operating in a mythology which disrupts the reality of real-time commerce.  We cannot accept, globally, despotic and corrupt corporate leadership.  There may be a lot more corruption in Texas.  I do not know.  What I do know is that I am a Texan who believes he is a victim of crimes perpetrated by executives of a Norwegian company.  My justice requires the attention and help from the Norwegian government.  Please help me.

Sincerely,

Steven D. Kalavity

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