Danish shipping and energy company USTC, owner of the world's largest marine fuel business, Bunker Holding, has filed a complaint with the Press Board against tabloid Ekstra Bladet, alleging the publication has engaged in a campaign of personal attacks against founder Torben Østergaard-Nielsen.

The complaint centers on what USTC describes as a "problematic journalistic method" in the newspaper's coverage of various maritime cases since the bankruptcy of Nordic Waste in January 2024.

USTC claims Ekstra Bladet has used unrelated cases to launch personal attacks on Østergaard-Nielsen, including coverage of a 2022 cable damage incident involving Bornholm, operations at shipyard Fayard A/S, and the annual accounts of restaurant chain Jensens Bøfhus.

The company alleges the tabloid has wrongly linked Østergaard-Nielsen to cases where he had no direct involvement, describing this as contrary to press ethics.

In Uni-Tankers' subsea cable damage case, USTC states that Østergaard-Nielsen was not part of Uni-Tankers' management and therefore not involved in the incident or its handling. The Maritime and Commercial Court ruled that Uni-Tankers' liability was approximately DKK 27m ($4m).

USTC also disputes Ekstra Bladet's criticism of Fayard A/S, where Østergaard-Nielsen serves as a board member. The shipyard services vessels transporting natural gas from Russia's Yamal LNG field to European destinations — activities USTC describes as "completely legal and in line with EU energy policy."

The complaint highlights what USTC characterizes as "campaign-like coverage," noting that in July alone, Ekstra Bladet published 11 articles about Østergaard-Nielsen across unrelated cases, including four front-page stories.

USTC's complaint focuses on four main areas: the use of independent cases for personal attacks, alleged distortion of facts, campaign-style coverage, and what it describes as offensive language, including references to Østergaard-Nielsen as "Denmark's most hated billionaire."

The company acknowledges that critical journalism should be "a natural and important part of the media landscape" but argues that Ekstra Bladet's approach has crossed ethical boundaries.

The complaint also references an incident from January 31, 2024, when the newspaper allegedly placed horse manure outside Østergaard-Nielsen's private residence with the message "Remove your sh*t, and we'll remove ours."

USTC states it has maintained "a respectful dialogue with the press" since Nordic Waste's bankruptcy, commenting and correcting factual errors when appropriate, but claims Ekstra Bladet's coverage has shifted away from professional substance towards personal attacks.

The Press Board complaint represents an escalation in the dispute between USTC and the Danish tabloid over coverage of the Nordic Waste case and related maritime industry matters.