Corruption scandal erupts in Uppsala – Sweden

Tuesday, 19 November 2013
A tangle of corruption with fraud in real estate activities have been reportedly detected in the Swedish enclave of Uppsala. Two officials have been dismissed and one person has been reported to the police.

According to media news reports, properties are said to have been rented out in conditions which are described to known non-market conditions.

“There are gaps in our processes and controls, “said Mayor Fredrik Ahlstedt  in  news conference on Tuesday.

Two people in the municipality, a middle manager and an officer are suspected of corruption and have been dismissed because of improper real estate conducts.

Another three have been suspended pending  investigation while an official is reported to the police, according to the revelation in at the press conference. This came after  auditors conducted an audit and found gaps in the processes.

Exactly how large the sums involved remain unclear. There may be several million – spread over 20 years. Mayor Joachim Danielsson says that it is not about real estate in central Uppsala but of agricultural land and other premises.
“Lease and rental agreements are set to fit non-market terms. They have been rented out to friends and acquaintances. We have initiated proceedings for dismissal of two people. One has also been reported to the police. What we have done is also to improve the functioning of our organisation,” said Mayor Joachim Danielsson at the press conference.
The corruption suspicion should have been disclosed when the municipality went through records and contracts.
By Scancomark.com Team