The investigation into the suspected crime of causing another person's death following the death of police chief Mats Löfving, where former national police chief Anders Thornberg was suspected, is being dropped.
It feels natural that a decision has been made, says Thornberg to P4 Halland.
"It cannot be proven that the suspect caused Mats Löfving's death through negligence", writes chief prosecutor Lars Morand about the decision.
It was in April that Anders Thornberg was suspected of causing another person's death.
"What I am being accused of is that I did not stop the investigator Runar Viksten's press conference. The report presented by the investigator was public, which is why a cancelled press conference would have been unreasonable", wrote Thornberg in a statement, denying any wrongdoing.
"I have not been negligent. Mats Löfving's death was neither predictable nor caused by me".
Löfving, previously 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 him out as biased in several decisions and recommended that the police consider dismissing him.
Contributory cause
The information presented at the press conference has been a contributory cause of Mats Löfving's death, according to the prosecutor.
The investigation does not show circumstances indicating that Thornberg should have realized or ought to have realized that Mats Löfving would take his life, says prosecutor Lars Morand to TT.
What support did Löfving receive during the day of the press conference?
In connection with his reassignment, a number of measures were taken. What is interesting in this regard is that the Work Environment Authority in its report describes what they consider to be certain deficiencies, particularly in crisis support around the press conference. But then, Anders Thornberg did not have work environment responsibility, but rather the head of the legal department.
I have not seen any reason to investigate further, as I conclude that the deficiencies described by the Work Environment Authority did not cause Mats Löfving's death.
To P4 Halland, Thornberg says that the time during the investigation was "tough" but that he had full focus on his assignment as governor of Halland.
Mats Löfving was a close colleague and fellow worker to me as well, and it has been an event that has been going on for a long time, says he.
The police union's chairman Katharina von Sydow says that Mats Löfving's death is "extremely 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", says she 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 violation of a woman's integrity, unlawful persecution, and harassment. Another report from September 2020 concerned assault.
The alleged victim in both reports was Linda Staaf, then head of the national operational department (Noa). Staaf has denied being a victim of crime. Both reports were dropped.
It is claimed that Löfving and Staaf had a relationship, and a few days later, the Prosecution Authority announces that an investigation into gross misconduct has been initiated. The investigation concerns Löfving's decision to employ Linda Staaf in 2015 and to issue her a service weapon in 2020.
The day after, then national police chief Anders Thornberg assigns the external investigator Runar Viksten to conduct a "full review" of the matter.
On February 1, 2023, Löfving is suspected of gross misconduct in connection with the appointment and decision on the service weapon.
On February 22, 2023, 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 service.
In the evening of February 22, Mats Löfving is found dead in his home in Norrköping. A preliminary investigation into the crime is initiated but dropped. The conclusion is that it is "ruled out that anyone else caused his death".
