A preliminary investigation into unauthorized positions with secret information was opened, but was later dropped.
— I can say this, if I had known that it was confidential, I would not have disclosed it. I had no idea that this was sensitive information, says Christopher Jarnvall (SD) to NT.
For hundreds of thousands of kroner, Christopher Jarnvall gave classified information about a procurement of helicopters to the France-based company NH Industries.
Should have received a quarter of a million
At this time, in the late 1990s, Christopher Jarnvall was working in the information department of the Armed Forces while running his own consulting company. He then allegedly received a quarter of a million kroner from NH Industries, as well as various travel and hotel expenses paid. This is clear from previously classified documents from Säpo, which NT has seen.
In the spring of 2001, the Military Intelligence and Security Service (Must) became aware of a leak in the business. The security police and a public prosecutor were involved.
The leak was linked to a Swedish officer who was trying to obtain information about the procurement. This turned out to have Christopher Jarnvall as client, NT writes.
A preliminary investigation was initiated
A preliminary investigation was launched into an unauthorized position with secret information, the newspaper writes. It is a crime that can result in a fine or imprisonment for a maximum of two years, and if the crime is serious, imprisonment for a maximum of four years.
The house search was then carried out at, among others, Christopher Jarnvall, and a large amount of documents and reports were found in his computer – 44 of these aroused a particularly great interest for the investigators.
Among other things, he was found to have sought information about armament and what protection the helicopter would have. Information about weapons systems is classified by the Swedish Armed Forces as having “extreme importance for the security of the kingdom”, writes the newspaper. Documents and reports were noted to have been sent to the company in France, which, thanks to the information, received advantages in the procurement.
The company was awarded the contract
In September of the same year, the procurement was completed. NH Industries received the contract, worth SEK 5.6 billion, for the delivery of 18 helicopters to Sweden.
And the following year, in 2002, the criminal investigation was dropped. The chamber prosecutor had been informed that the Swedish Armed Forces judged that it would be a greater harm to Sweden if the procurement had to be redone – than that Christopher Jarnvall provided a foreign company with information and himself made money from it.
It was feared that a new procurement would lead to delayed delivery of new helicopters and thus possibly that the Armed Forces would be completely without helicopters for some time.
— Then it was not possible to prosecute. I dropped the investigation, because I no longer had any basis for judging crime. If the Armed Forces do not consider that any damage has been caused by the disclosure of the information, then it is simply no longer a crime, says prosecutor Peter Hallgren, to NT, who emphatically says that he was surprised.