Katrin Westling Palm is resigning as Director-General of the Swedish Tax Agency on May 18, with Fredrik Rosengren, head of the Swedish Enforcement Authority, set to replace her. The departure comes amid an ongoing criminal investigation against Westling Palm and two other managers at the Swedish Tax Agency for suspected breach of confidentiality. The criminal investigation stems from a protracted dispute with businessman Ola Nordquist, who was previously Nordics head for private equity firm Permira, a part-owner of Klarna.
According to major media reports, Ola Nordquist has long waged a campaign against the Swedish Tax Agency after being charged 125 percent in tax. The Director-General and two other managers defended themselves against the allegations on the agency's website, which prompted the prosecutor to initiate a preliminary investigation. Three suspects, marked with confidentiality in court documents, have been appointed public defenders.
Contradictions surround the nature of Westling Palm's departure from her position. While official statements indicate she is resigning, a source with insight claims Katrin Westling Palm is being fired. According to major media reports, Katrin Westling Palm will receive new tasks from the government related to AI and Swedish language models.
Ola Nordquist is commenting for the first time on the removal of Director-General Katrin Westling Palm. Criticism is growing regarding the Swedish Tax Agency's handling of the situation. The Swedish Tax Agency is letting two top managers suspected of crimes remain in their positions.
The specifics of the criminal evidence and the prosecutor's stance remain unknown. The details of Westling Palm's new AI tasks and the identities of the other managers also remain unknown.