Atea A/S (Denmark) reports former employee and competitor to the police

[Copenhagen 15.12.2015]

Atea A/S (Denmark) has reported the company 3A-it and a former sales director in Atea A/S (Denmark) to the Danish police based on a suspected violation of the Danish Marketing Practices act due to the unjustified disclosure and use of Atea's business secrets in large scale.

In connection with the Danish police investigation of alleged bribery, Atea A/S has conducted an extensive internal investigation. Our internal investigation has revealed that a former sales director in Atea A/S has deliberately collected and disclosed a large amount of sensitive corporate information.

The former sales director currently holds a leading position and is a shareholder in the competitive company 3A-it. He was still employed at Atea A/S when the collection and disclosure of sensitive corporate information took place. Atea A/S has clear indications that the disclosed information benefited 3A-it.

Furthermore, Atea A/S has reasons to believe that the illegal acts were carefully planned and executed over an extended time period, and that the acts were part of the establishment of the company 3A-it. The charge has connection to a widely reported trip to Dubai that took place in 2014, which according to Atea was intended to transfer clients from Atea to 3A-it.

- We have taken the dramatic step of reporting to the police because we have information that our former sales director deliberately collected and disclosed a large amount of corporate information to benefit the establishment of a competitor 3A-it. On the 5th of January 2015, 3A-it was established. Former leading employees of Atea A/S have founded and run 3A-it, and they now operate in direct competition to Atea A/S, says Steinar Sønsteby, CEO in Atea ASA.

The former sales director in Atea A/S is reported for violation of the Danish Marketing Practice act section 19 paragraph 1+2. The company 3A-it is reported for violation of the Danish Marketing Practice Act section 19 paragraph 5.

For further information, please contact:

Steinar Sønsteby
CEO, Atea ASA
Mobile: (+47) 930 55 655
E-mail: steinar.sonsteby@atea.com

Robert Giori
CFO, Atea ASA
Mobile: (+47) 934 09 188
E-mail: robert.giori@atea.com

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