Investigation into manslaughter after the death of police chief Mats Löfvings, where former national police chief Anders Thornberg was suspected, is being discontinued.
It feels natural that it has come to a decision, says Thornberg to P4 Halland.
"It cannot be proven that the suspected person, through negligence, caused Mats Löfvings death", writes Chief Prosecutor Lars Morand about the decision to discontinue the investigation.
In May, Anders Thornberg confirmed that he was suspected of manslaughter after police chief Mats Löfvings death last year. He has always denied the crime.
"I deny the crime. I have not been negligent. Mats Löfvings death was neither predictable nor caused by me", he said in a statement at the time.
"Difficult"
To P4 Halland, he says that the time during the investigation "has been difficult", but that he has had full focus on his assignment as county governor in Halland County.
Mats Löfving was just a close colleague and colleague of mine too, and it has been an event that has lasted for a long time, he says to the radio.
Mats Löfving, former regional police chief in Stockholm and deputy national police chief, was found dead in his home on February 22, 2023. Earlier the same day, the police's special investigator Runar Viksten had pointed out him as suspicious in several decisions, and recommended that the police consider dismissing him.
Contributing cause
The information presented at the press conference has been a contributing cause of Mats Löfvings death, according to the prosecutor.
"However, the investigation has not revealed circumstances that show that Anders Thornberg realized or should have realized that there was a significant risk that Mats Löfving would take his own life in connection with what would come out at the press conference."
Katharina von Sydow, national chairman of the Police Union, says that Mats Löfvings death is "incredibly tragic".
"I have respect for, and trust in, the legal process that has been and it has been important that it has been carried out. My thoughts are with his family, close friends and colleagues", she says in a written comment.
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Source: mind.se
In December 2022, Expressen reveals that Mats Löfving, regional police chief in Stockholm and deputy national police chief, was reported to the police a year earlier for gross breach of peace, illegal harassment and harassment. Another report from September 2020 concerned assault. The identified victim in both reports was Linda Staaf, then intelligence chief at the national operational division (Noa). Staaf has denied being subjected to crime. Both reports were discontinued.
It is claimed that Löfving and Staaf had a relationship and a few days later, the Prosecution Authority announces that an investigation into gross official misconduct has been initiated. The investigation concerns Löfvings decision to hire Linda Staaf in 2015 and assign her a service weapon in 2020.
The day after, then national police chief Anders Thornberg assigns the external investigator Runar Viksten to conduct a "comprehensive review" of the matter.
On February 1, 2023, Löfving is suspected of gross official misconduct in connection with the appointment and decision on the service weapon.
On February 22, Runar Viksten presents his conclusions at a press conference. He believes that Löfving was biased in several decisions regarding Staaf, and that the national police chief should consider dismissing Löfving from his position.
In the evening of February 22, Mats Löfving is found dead in his home in Norrköping. An investigation into a crime is initiated but discontinued. The conclusion is that it is "excluded that anyone else caused his death".
