On January 1, Hanstholm Port became municipal after having been a self-governing port. Thisted Municipality made the port municipal together with a debt of around 630 million kr.
Deputy Director and Operations Manager Søren Zohnesen became acting director after the firing of Nils Skeby in the spring of 2022, but when the port became municipal, a port manager had to be hired instead of a director.
For the Social Democrat and long-time city council member of Thisted Municipality Peter Skriver Nielsen, there was initially no doubt that a new person had to be appointed to the position of port manager when the port became municipal. As a member of the municipal council's finance committee, he had also thought that it was an appointment that would have to be decided in the committee, but he was surprised.
- We could read in the newspaper that Søren Zohnesen had been appointed as port manager, says Peter Skriver Nielsen.
Peter Skriver Nielsen already had the feeling that not all information about the Port of Hanstholm had been presented to him before he became a member of the finance committee after the last city council election. That is why he has sought access to the port's board minutes over the past ten years. There are many questions, and one of the central ones for him is why alarm bells have not been rung in connection with the loan of 650 million. DKK was raised for the port expansion.
- Maybe there is something that we were not told at the time the loan for the port was taken, says Peter Skriver Nielsen.
Now the port, which bases its income on the declining fishing industry and a single freight route, is facing a major business development challenge. The turnover, which is between DKK 30-33 million annually, must be increased, and this requires strong skills in business development in a green direction.
- I had something against Søren Zohnesen being appointed, says Peter Skriver, who originally wanted to see someone new in the post.
Søren Zohnesen was a member of Thisted city council for the Liberal Party until the last municipal election, where he was not re-elected. Zohnesen was a harbor assistant at Hanstholm Port until he became deputy director and operations manager in December 2020. Otherwise, he has experience as a fishing skipper and as a mate at the coastal rescue service in addition to a high school diploma.
These are the skills that led former parliamentary politician and locally rooted leftist Svend Heiselborg to say the following about his appointment to DOI.dk in early January:
- I can't say anything bad about Søren Zohnesen, who is also a leftist. But the question is whether he is the right person for the task, assessed Svend Heiselberg.
Left-wing elected again and again
It is not the first time that a left-winger has been elected to positions in connection with Hanstholm Port, after Niels Jørgen Pedersen (V) became mayor of Thisted Municipality. Former top politician Kristian Jensen became chairman of the board of Hanstholm Port in March 2022 – a position he only held for two months before moving to a director position at Green Power Denmark.
When Søren Zohnesen was appointed port manager without the appointment having been discussed in the finance committee, it is obvious that the left-wing mayor had ensured that the position was secured for his party colleague, says Peter Skriver Nielsen.
- I am not suspicious, but it must be done openly, honestly and with integrity. Although I cannot be sure, it is obvious to believe that it has happened that way, says Peter Skriver Nielsen.
That is why Peter Skriver Nielsen has used the opportunity to ask critical questions in the finance committee. Here he asked why the appointment of Søren Zohnesen as port manager has not been discussed in the finance committee. The answer he received was quite a surprise.
- I was told that Søren Zohnesen has returned to his position as deputy director and operations manager, which corresponds to the port manager. Now the director of the port is the municipality's technical director Mogens Kruse Andersen. He is also the one who has the authority to hire the port manager, says Peter Skriver Nielsen.
How does this fit in with the fact that Thisted Municipality wrote in a press release on January 3 that Søren Zohnesen has been appointed as the new port manager. Peter Skriver Nielsen can't quite get that right either.
- The information that was announced at the time was misleading, says Peter Skriver Nielsen now, and he has already acted on it.
- I have asked for an organizational chart for the next finance committee meeting in March, says Peter Skriver Nielsen.
In the meantime, he has accepted that Søren Zohnesen has become port manager at Hanstholm Port.
- Søren knows the port, and that is something that is needed now, it is said.
But it is not Søren Zohnesen that Peter Skriver Nielsen blames for anything, but the culture around the port.
- Many have said that the port has been a closed company, says Peter Skriver Nielsen, who leaves little doubt that he will exercise democratic control of the port in the future with critical questions when it is necessary.
DOI.dk has attempted to obtain a comment from Thisted's mayor Niels Jørgen Pedersen (V).
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