The internal investigation into police chief Mats Löfving was presented at a press conference on Wednesday. Investigator Runar Viksten, appointed by national police chief Anders Thornberg, claimed during the presentation of the investigation that Löfving was guilty of fraud in several decisions. Therefore, Viksten thought, he should be separated from his post.
Later on Wednesday, Mats Löfving was found dead in his home.
The investigation was published on the Police Authority’s website on Wednesday, but on Sunday it was removed.
“Got wrong right from the start”
Leif GW Persson is deeply critical of the police management’s handling of the investigation and believes that both Viksten and Thornberg have taken “honor and glory” from Mats Löfving. It was wrong right from the start, he says in SVT’s Agenda.
– There is an ongoing criminal investigation against Löfving and then a parallel investigation is added.
– In normal cases, you would have waited and let the criminal investigator and the prosecutor have their say.
What do you think will happen to the national police chief?
– Presumably he takes his reason prisoner and requests to quit tomorrow.
Viksten: Unacceptable for the Police Authority to wait
According to Runar Viksten, there is no obstacle to conducting an employment law investigation in parallel with a criminal investigation. And in this case, he has also had ongoing contact with Bengt Åsbäck at the Special Prosecutor’s Chamber, he points out.
– I have been very keen not to interfere in the criminal investigation in any way, and I do not believe that I have done that either.
Viksten also points out that he has to present his investigation within the time frame he has, which meant that it was not possible to wait for a criminal investigation.
– If you had waited for the criminal justice track, it would have been, as far as I can judge, one to two years, says Viksten and adds:
– It was of course completely unacceptable for the Police Authority, which wanted clarifications, and I find it difficult to imagine that the Government Office would think it reasonable to wait so long.
SVT has sought national police chief Anders Thornberg, who declined an interview over the weekend.