Anna Kinberg Batra does not rule out that more friends were employed

The Ombudsman for Justice will now audit the county administrative board in Stockholm.

County Governor Anna Kinberg Batra doesn’t think there are any more friends of hers who got jobs at the authority.

– Not that I know of, she says.

After ducking Aftonbladet’s questions for several weeks, Anna Kinberg Batra finally agreed to an interview.

This after she first chose to talk to TV4, SVT and Sweden’s radio about the crisis of confidence she is currently going through, after Aftonbladet’s revelation that she hired her friend Anna Borgs as head of planning at the county board in Stockholm.

Aftonbladet was already several weeks ago able to reveal the unusual recruitment process.

A note was hung up in the reception at the authority, but no one who works there came in with any job application.

There was only one person who applied – Anna Kinberg Batra’s friend Anna Borgs.

Later, Aftonbladet was able to reveal that Anna Kinberg Batra hired yet another friend, the management consultant Gunnar Ekman.

Ekman received a salary of SEK 90,000 a month.

The job was not advertised and no one else applied.

Two more personnel matters have been criticised, including the fact that Mikael Jeppson was hired as the new emergency manager, even though he did not meet the requirements.

But the governor continued to dodge Aftonbladet’s questions, until late on Tuesday evening.

Are you planning to stay?

– I absolutely think so.

– It has been questioned how I work and how we work at the authority. It shouldn’t have to happen. I think it’s very boring.

Anna Kinberg Batra says that she initiated an internal investigation.

– The Ombudsman will also review what happened. Even if they conclude that no formal wrongdoing has been committed, it is clear that it is unfortunate to be questioned at all. It shouldn’t have to happen. It’s very sad and I’m sorry for that.

But why didn’t you advertise these jobs in a normal way then?

– There are four completely different positions that are being discussed and I have had no other intention than to do the right thing and recruit based on competence.

Who made the decision not to post these job ads on the website?

– Every process has been managed as well as possible. It has been about the competence. I have also consulted with employees inside the authority where I was new as manager last spring.

Then it was you who made the decision not to post these ads?

– I made the decision to recruit and that these positions would be needed. Then it says that you must announce in an appropriate way and that can be interpreted and I think that’s a shame.
– But now the Ombudsman has to look at it, and I think that’s good.

According to one of Sweden’s leading experts in administrative law, Professor Olle Lundin in Uppsala, the employment of the friend Anna Borgs could be corruption.

How do you comment on that?

– Various investigations and reviews must now be carried out. I saw today that the National Prosecutor decided not to open a preliminary investigation.

Are there more friends of yours who are employed that the public doesn’t know about?

– Not that I know of. It is always the competence that counts. I know a lot of people and I have gotten to know several since I started at the county administrative board last year, but regardless of whether you know each other from before, it is not what determines whether you get a job at the county administrative board in Stockholm.

You choose to talk to TV4, SVT and Sveriges Radio before we get an interview with you, even though it is our news from the beginning. Why do you choose to talk to editors about a news story that they are second to none?

– Now I’m standing here and answering your questions.

You could have spoken to my colleague Olof Svensson already several days ago?

– No, when Aftonbladet asked questions before Easter, you also got answers. There were questions about a recruitment. The head of the authority does not usually answer that.

Now those were rather special circumstances. It even happened that Aftonbladet’s reporter himself had to go and post a note at the county administrative board.

– How different reporters act is up to you, but it’s not like we haven’t answered questions. We have done this several times through several different representatives.

The only response Aftonbladet received until Tuesday evening is the following written message:

“Aftonbladet’s reporting over the past week raises questions about the trust in both me and the authority, it affects our employees, which I take very seriously and regret. If our authority and our working methods can be questioned, we need to improve. That work has already begun.
I have had the honor of serving as governor of my home county. It follows from my background that I know many people in different parts of the county, which I hope can benefit both the authority and the development of the county. This is precisely why it is particularly important for me to work so that the trust of the authority cannot be questioned”.