(Bloomberg) -- Per Sandberg, Norway’s fisheries minister, stepped down after failing to comply with government guidelines during a private trip to Iran over the summer.
Sandberg, 58, failed to inform the prime minister as well as his own ministry about the trip with his 28-year-old Iranian-born girlfriend in June. Harald Tom Nesvik was named as his replacement, according to a statement on the government’s website.
“Per Sandberg asked to resign,” Prime Minister Erna Solberg told reporters in a televised press conference in Oslo on Monday. “Per hasn’t shown the necessary discretion dealing with security,” she said.
The trip raised security concerns in particular since the minister brought his government-issue mobile phone to Iran. The phone was handed in to the Norwegian Police Security Service earlier this month to investigate whether it was hacked.
The outgoing minister said he acknowledged that he breached routines related to preparedness and security.
Sandberg becomes the second Progress Party minister to resign this year. Justice Minister Sylvi Listhaug resigned in March following a controversial Facebook post that threatened to topple the government.
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.
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