After 16 years of victimisation, Norway clears Umar Farooq Zahoor in all cases citing lack of evidence
OSLO/ISLAMABAD (NEWS DESK) — August 20, 2026: Norwegian prosecutors have dismissed the long-running criminal case against Norwegian-Pakistani businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor due to the state of the evidence, bringing to an end a legal controversy that followed him internationally for around 16 years.
The Eastern Norway Public Prosecutor’s Office formally has dismissed the case on 18 August 2026, stating that “the case is dismissed due to the state of the evidence (code 058)” and instructing the Oslo Police District to take the necessary steps concerning any outstanding wanted notices or related measures connected with the case.
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The decision represents a major legal victory for Zahoor, who had consistently denied involvement in the alleged Nordea fraud dating back to 2010 and maintained throughout that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him.
Significantly, major Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, which has previously reported extensively on the allegations surrounding Zahoor, has now reported the dismissal after independently examining the prosecutorial decision. Dagbladet said it had reviewed the prosecutor’s dismissal letter itself and confirmed that the case had been dismissed due to the state of the evidence.
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Zahoor’s prominent Norwegian defence lawyer John Christian Elden also confirmed that all charges against his client had been dismissed.
The Norwegian newspaper further noted that Zahoor had consistently denied having anything to do with the Nordea fraud throughout the years in which the allegations remained outstanding.
The significance of the latest decision extends beyond the closure of the criminal investigation. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has also instructed Oslo Police to take the necessary action concerning any remaining wanted notices or related measures arising from the case, removing the outstanding enforcement consequences associated with proceedings that have remained over Zahoor for years.
The history of the investigation shows that concerns over the strength of the evidence were not new.
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According to documents cited by Zahoor’s lawyers, the Oslo Police Department formally proposed to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in December 2021 that the case should be closed. His legal team has maintained that the investigation had failed to establish sufficient evidence against him and that the case should have been brought to an end much earlier.
Zahoor’s lawyers have also said that an earlier investigation was closed in 2013 because of insufficient evidence before Norwegian authorities subsequently reopened the matter in 2015.
Norwegian newspapers, including Dagbladet and Verdens Gang (VG), reported extensively on Zahoor and the allegations against him. Zahoor and his lawyers repeatedly complained that adverse allegations continued to be publicised even though he maintained that the evidence did not support prosecution.
Zahoor said the decision brought an end to years of allegations that had affected both him and his family.
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“I cannot recover the years this case took from my family and me, but I ask those who reported the allegations to report equally that Norway dismissed the case and ordered all wanted notices and alerts removed,” he said.
He added: “Accusations travel far and fast. I hope this decision clearing my name travels just as far and fast.”
The Norwegian decision now changes the final public record of the case. Zahoor was investigated and faced allegations for years, but he consistently denied involvement; INTERPOL deleted its wanted notice in 2019; Oslo Police subsequently proposed closure of the case in 2021; and Norway’s prosecuting authority has now formally dismissed the proceedings because of the state of the evidence.
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