Two weeks ago, the Court of Appeal upheld the espionage verdict against Peyman Kia, 42.
Now Lennart Ohlsson, former head of counterintelligence, is demanding that the government appoint an investigation into the incident.
– There could not have been particularly effective controls, he says to TV4 Nyheterna.
On May 25, Svea announced to the Court of Appeal that it would uphold the district court’s verdict against 42-year-old Peyman Kia, who spied on behalf of Russia. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for aggravated espionage and unauthorized position with a secret mission.
After the major spy case was concluded, voices have now been raised to investigate mistakes that Säpo and the Defense may have made in connection with the case.
“Very serious”
Lennart Ohlsson, former operational manager at the security service MUST, demands that the government set up an investigation to see if any mistakes were made.
– It is very serious because he has worked both within Säpo and the military intelligence and security service. He has not only betrayed his co-workers, his organization and his country. Ultimately, he has betrayed the Swedish people, he says to TV4 Nyheterna.
Lennart Ohlsson thinks that Peyman Kia and the espionage should have been discovered much earlier.
– You have had three years, he says.
He says that within the Armed Forces there must be a security check once a year, and that it must be recorded.
– If you have done such a thing, you have had three checks to discover this. there may not have been particularly effective controls.
“Then it must be delivered”
According to Lennart Ohlsson, this speaks volumes for the fact that the Swedish Armed Forces made a mistake.
– There is a high probability of that and it should be investigated. If it is the case that managers have failed to do what they are supposed to and follow the regulations, it must be punished.
He is also worried that Peyman Kia is not the only one who has committed crimes in a similar way.
– It may actually be the case that more employees have committed criminal acts by going in and looking at documents they are not authorized to, says Lennart Ohlsson.