Former C-top can receive 90,000 kroner a month • SD politician: “A betrayal of the taxpayers”
Former C-top Gustav Hemming, who resigned last week following suspicions of sexual abuse of a minor, applied for financial compensation after he resigned from his job, reported The evening paper.
Hemming had 140,000 kroner in monthly salary from the Region, which gives him over 90,000 kroner a month in fixed-term pension until the age of 67, according to the newspaper’s calculation. That gives him a total of just over SEK 16.5 million.
“Damages trust”
In a letter to Region Stockholm, ahead of the regional board’s meeting on Tuesday, the Sweden Democrats now demand immediate measures to stop payments to politicians suspected of crime.
– Continuing to pay pensions to politicians under criminal investigation is nothing more than a betrayal of the taxpayers. It is our responsibility to stop this system error now, says Msciwoj Swigon (SD), opposition regional councilor Region Stockholm.
The party proposes, among other things, that payments of fixed-term pensions and severance pay be paused for elected representatives who are subject to criminal investigations. They also want to review the regulations to ensure that elected representatives who have been convicted of crimes cannot be granted pensions or severance pay.
That tax funds are used to finance pensions for politicians under criminal investigation damages trust in Region Stockholm, the party believes.
“Crime of a more serious type”
The Sweden Democrats have not specified in the letter which types of crimes are to be covered by the requirement, but Msciwoj Swigon thinks that it should apply to politicians who are suspected of more serious crimes.
– It should be crimes that are of the more serious type, I think, he says.
When asked if this is legally feasible, Swigon replies that it is up to officials at the region to make that assessment.
– We hope that you can make that assessment and revise the regulations. It is an old set of regulations.
How do you see the person suspected of a crime being considered innocent until proven guilty?
– Of course, we have full respect for the ongoing criminal investigation. That’s why we want to pause payments until we know if the person is guilty, but also to be able to try the matter in the meantime.
The professor: “Nothing to stop”
Olle Lundin, professor of administrative law at Lund University believes that a review of the regulations could be legally possible.
– There is nothing that prevents a review of the regulations from a purely legal point of view, he tells TV4 Nyheterna.
But he adds that it depends on how the agreements are formulated, and that the regions have their own rules.
TV4 Nyheterna has contacted Region Stockholm for a comment.