Gustav Hemming, the leader of the Center Party in the Stockholm region, has resigned after he was investigated for sexual harassment.
Now the party states that it was a party colleague who recognized him after the TV program Efterlyst released the police surveillance images.
– There was a person in the party who thought he recognized Gustav Hemming in Efterlyst’s pictures, says Anton Hammarlund, the Center Party’s press contact.
On Wednesday, the Center Party announced that Hemming had resigned from all his assignments and left the party. The reason was that the party suspected that he had committed a crime and contacted the police.
It was later confirmed that it was a case of sexual harassment that took place on public transport in the Stockholm area. The police have also started a preliminary investigation.
– I cannot go into the state of the evidence as it is an ongoing preliminary investigation, more details cannot be said with reference to preliminary investigation confidentiality, says Rebecca Landberg, press spokesperson at the police.
Party comrade recognized Hemming
The TV program showed images from surveillance cameras in public transport, where people were urged to get in touch if they recognized the man. Now the Center Party states that it was a party colleague of Gustav Hemming who knew him well.
– There was a person in the party who thought he recognized Gustav Hemming from Efterlyst’s pictures. That person then contacted Stockholm’s chairman Jonas Naddebo and raised the alarm. So it was Efterlyst’s pictures that were the origin, says Anton Hammarlund, the Center Party’s press contact.
In the police images from surveillance cameras, a man can be seen in a cap, white shirt, beige pants and sunglasses. The day after the incident in public transport, pictures were published on social media where Gustav Hemming is wearing similar clothes and glasses.
– At lunchtime on Wednesday, we received this information which we quickly forwarded to the police, says Jonas Naddebo, chairman of the Center Party in the city of Stockholm.
Demirok: “Holy cursed”
The Center Party’s party leader, Muharrem Demirok, comments on the information to TV4 Nyheterna, which he believes is very serious.
– This is very serious information that both I and the party take very seriously. They are deeply upsetting and piss me off. It is extremely important that the police now fully investigate this, writes Muharrem Demirok.
Jonas Naddebo states that they have been in contact with Hemming, who himself realized that there was no other way out than to leave his assignments and the party.
Hemming was the leader of the Center Party in Region Stockholm and vice chairman of the regional board. Deputy group leader in Region Stockholm, Michaela Haga, will represent the Center Party as group leader in Hemming’s place until a new one is appointed. A new regional council will also be appointed in the future.
TV4 Nyheterna has applied for Gustav Hemming via the Center Party