On January 28, Ebba Östlin was voted out as group leader for the Social Democrats in Botkyrka – but the picture of what is behind the vote out is different.
Some believe that the party has been infiltrated by people connected to gang crime, others that Östlin was voted out due to a lack of leadership.
It is clear that there were a number of new party members at the special meeting, including at least one person with connections to gang crime.
In the phalanx that has been the driving force in voting out Ebba Östlin, there are several people active within ABF Botkyrka/Salem.
A haunt for criminals
The conflict escalated a year ago when the municipality shut down several leisure centers run by ABF Botkyrka/Salem with immediate effect.
– We were able to establish that criminal elements have entered the business and this affects what the municipality has to fund, says Pernilla Vera, safety and security director in Botkyrka municipality.
In an external review by a security company, the leisure centers were pointed out as a hangout for criminals, among other things. The management of ABF in the area considered that the report was full of inaccuracies.
SVT can now show images from when the police visited one of the recreational facilities in the spring of 2020 and identified several people in the Vårby network who were later convicted of serious crimes.
– I was not aware that it would have happened. That’s something I’m finding out now. We never got to see the pictures. I would have liked the police to have contacted me about them, says a person within ABF Botkyrka/Salem who wishes to remain anonymous.
According to Detective Inspector Torsten Alm, members of the Vårby network stayed on several occasions at the holiday farm in question.
Several investigations
At the same time, several investigations into the conflict are ongoing. The municipality has notified ABF Botkyrka/Salem – and ABF has in turn notified the municipality. In addition, S has started an internal investigation after the last tours.
– I want to get to the bottom of this, says party secretary Tobias Baudin (S).
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