The police authority and its top management are currently experiencing one of their biggest crises. This since last week Expressen was able to reveal that Mats Löfving, deputy national police chief and regional police chief in Stockholm, was reported to the police on two occasions for crimes against Linda Staaf, head of intelligence at the National Operative Department (Noa).
Both reports were closed just a few days after they were received. This week, however, a preliminary investigation was opened regarding gross misconduct in connection with the appointment of Staaf as head of intelligence. No one is currently named as a suspect, but Löfving was the one who hired her. At the same time, there is information that the two should have had a relationship.
Pretty much every day since the revelation, the story has taken new turns, and the criticism of and demands for statements from National Police Chief Anders Thornberg have grown ever greater. Because even his actions have been questioned.
Up until now, he has not given any further comments, but on Thursday afternoon the national police chief chose to give TT an exclusive interview.
— I have dealt with this issue in recent times and do not think there was any point in giving an interview in full until you have a little more to say. On the one hand, we have dealt with the issue, and on the other hand, it has become a preliminary investigation, which limits a lot what to do.
— But I do understand that there is a very large interest, both a general interest and above all within my own organization, to understand what has happened.
TT: What did you do after the reports against Mats Löfving were dropped?
— When reports are closed, they come to the personnel responsibility board’s office, then you have to handle them according to the regulations. That is, if it is a criminal report, you must assess whether you should do anything further, but if the prosecutor says that no crime has been committed or that there is no reason to proceed, then you cannot do anything else. One can take certain calls and other things.
TT: According to information to Expressen, you should have spoken with Löfving after the second report, is that correct?
— I have not spoken to Mats Löfving about any reports at all.
TT: Have you spoken to Linda Staaf?
— No, I have not spoken to any of them about the fact that there has been a police report.
TT: Should you have done it?
— No, not about these conditions. I’m Mats Löfving’s manager, so I’m going to talk to Mats Löfving. Johan Olsson (Noa’s manager) is Linda Staaf’s manager, so he will talk to her if there is something that concerns that way.
— They don’t tell you that there have been reports, however, as a manager, I can have labor law discussions. I can have conversations to sort out what happened and conversations that concern the work environment and other things as well, and I have had that.
TT: In this matter?
– In this question.
TT: Can you elaborate, what have you talked about?
— That’s exactly what I can’t do. But I am very confident, we are a law enforcement agency, we have a rule of law. It must be done in the right way, everyone must be treated equally, we are very used to handling different criminal investigations. We have an internal regulatory framework and we have followed it as far as I can judge.
Anders Thornberg says that he has taken measures regarding the reported events, but that he cannot disclose everything to the public.
TT: It has emerged that Linda Staaf felt a strong concern for her own safety due to Mats Löfving’s alleged actions, he has also been her boss. What do you think when you hear this?
— I cannot comment on that right now because various investigations are underway. But there are very serious allegations that have been made, it is a serious matter. But there are also two employees within the Police Authority who are being singled out in a way in the media that I think is appalling.
TT: Do you feel today that you have done enough?
— Yes, as far as I can judge.
TT: Based on that, do you think there was unbalanced reporting? Because it looks like you didn’t do everything you could have.
— I can’t tell you everything that has happened, but I think that sometimes you have to come to your senses a little and wait until you have the results. What I am saying is that it is a very serious issue that can affect confidence in the police.
TT: You can’t answer all the questions, you say, but then you give your critics an opportunity to come up with arguments such as that you dodge questions, or that you didn’t do what you should have done – how do you see that you don’t get the chance to defend against it?
— It is, of course, a difficult balancing act that you have to walk. But I am the head of the police in Sweden, we make sure that there is public order and security in our country. If I were to go off and do things to answer something in the media, it would be very strange. I have to always comply with the regulations, I have to treat all people equally, I have to make sure that if there is a criminal investigation, I don’t tell different details. I have to make sure that my employees feel safe in the Police Authority, that they are treated correctly in different ways.
TT: What have you known about the relationship between Mats Löfving and Linda Staaf?
— Now you’re getting into issues related to personal relationships, which will be covered, so I can’t comment on that.
TT: Have you seen that this relationship could become a problem?
— If it is the case that there would have been a relationship, then there is a problem. A manager and an employee should not have a relationship. It can affect judgment, decision-making and other things.
TT: Have you seen anything potentially inappropriate in the fact that Mats Löfving was the one who hired Linda Staaf as head of intelligence at Noa?
— It is also such a thing that the investigation is allowed to show. But this was 2015 and I didn’t work at the authority at all then.
TT: Was there any type of fact surrounding their relationship that you had to act on?
— Not as far as I can tell.
On Sunday, Anders Thornberg decided to appoint an investigation into the events, with an external investigator.
TT: Why haven’t you gotten to the bottom of this before? Why right now?
— There has been new information and the prosecutor has started a preliminary investigation. And I’ve gotten to the bottom of it before. I have handled it according to the current regulations, and I could not have taken more measures than I did before.
TT: Linda Staaf has expressed that she is the victim of a smear campaign. Do you share that picture?
— I don’t have the whole picture, but just her expressing it I think is terrible. We have two employees now where a lot of things are alleged on social media, in the media and so on, where things are said without knowing exactly what has happened. I think it’s terrible that it happens, and I can understand that you experience it that way.
TT: How do you think the trust in you is affected by this event?
— It is clear that it might affect me as well, but that question should not be asked of me.
— Many people are watching how I handle this now. Some people think I’ve been quiet, but I’ve been working day and night and I’ve been working on this issue for a very long time. I’ve done a series of actions that I can’t tell you about, and I feel confident in how I’ve handled it.