Sweden: "suspicions" leaked
01 March 1993
The Swedish security police secretly informed the leadership of the Conservative Party about suspicions of spying against one of the members of the opposition, Bo Jenewall, MP for the opportunistic rightwing party Ny Demokrati (New Democracy). He was said to have been suspected of industrial espionage for Russia. Jenewall was once head of the Swedish company Nordic Concrete, which for several years mainly was working with eastern Europe. One of the contacts of Jenewall, a Russian inspector of ships, was expelled 1988. When Jenewall was later elected an MP, the security police contacted leaders of the Conservative party, informing them about their suspicions against Jenewall. The information were leaked to the mass media just as a major political war exploded between Ny Demokrati and the Conservative party. Prime Minister Cart Bildt has demanded an explanation from the security police.
The Swedish security police have been regarded with suspicions by the Social Democrats and the Liberals since a Conservative coalition won the election in 1991. Ever since the election the security police have had more freedom with three official parliamentary reports in 1990 shelved - they unanimously proposed substantial changes of, among other things, the personnel control system. The present Conservative Minister of Justice, Gun Hellsvik, has blocked any attempt to bring about these reforms.
Personnel control means that applicants for security classified positions, ie: positions which for some reason are considered to be of importance for the security of the nation, before employment, and from thereon on at certain time intervals shall be checked against the registers of the security police. About 410,000 appointments are subject to vetting and around 120,000 checks are made every year. Citizens subject to control are usually not aware that they are being vetted and are not informed of the reasons for the decision of the security police, the decision cannot be appealed. Around hundred citizens are disqualified every year. The parliamentary reports suggested that the numbers of services subject to personnel control should be reduced to 15,000 and that citizens subject to control should be informed of the substance of the suspicions and that they should have the right to an appeal.
When Ingela Martensson MP, representing the Liberal Party, raised the question of the political leaks by the security police and the blocking of reforms the Minister of Justice was finally forced to announce that the Government might soon submit a bill to Parliament.
Official reports of the proceedings and debates of the Swedish Parliament 1992/93:8687.