Expressen filmed Katja Nyberg driving her own car in Stockholm on Tuesday, documenting her first driving and then again two hours later, and she drove away when approached. The prosecutor is now initiating a preliminary investigation against MP Katja Nyberg after Expressen's revelation that she drove without a license. According to Aftonbladet, Nyberg described moving the car in connection with a cleaning day and having no one else to help, but driving without a license is considered unauthorized driving, which can lead to fines, conditional sentences, or prison. Over-prosecutor Anders Jakobsson says if the license is revoked, it is normally considered gross unauthorized driving, and Nyberg's lawyer declines to comment on the incident.
Nyberg's license was revoked after she was stopped by police in the Stockholm area at the end of last year on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol. During the Christmas holidays, MP Katja Nyberg was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and drug offenses, as revealed by Aftonbladet in January. In January, the Transport Agency revoked Katja Nyberg's driver's license after analysis results according to the authority showed she had drugs in her blood. When a driver's license is revoked, it is forbidden to drive a car, and Katja Nyberg left the Sweden Democrats after being suspected of driving under the influence of drugs in connection with a car accident last year.
It was wrong of me and I take responsibility for it.
A contradiction exists regarding the status of drug findings in Katja Nyberg's blood test. The Transport Agency revoked Nyberg's driver's license after analysis results showed she had drugs in her blood, but it has not been proven that Nyberg had drugs in her body, as stated by her lawyer in a letter to the authority. According to SVT Sörmland, Katja Nyberg described the blood test showing a positive result for a metabolite, a breakdown product, but not the narcotic substance itself. A metabolite is a substance formed in the body during the breakdown of, for example, drugs, and according to swedenherald.com, Katja Nyberg described the Swedish Transport Agency's decision to revoke her driver's license as based on a blood test showing a metabolite in her body, not evidence of drugs in her blood.
Katja Nyberg denies the accusations of driving under the influence of drugs, and according to swedenherald.com, Katja Nyberg denies taking cocaine or driving drunk. Nyberg broke her silence in a social media post in late January, calling the reporting a 'public character assassination'. According to swedenherald.com, Katja Nyberg described the metabolite as not an active substance, and she also noted that the Swedish Transport Agency found she had 0.12 per mille of alcohol in her body, but says this does not mean she was driving drunk as the limit is 0.2 per mille.
According to Nyberg, the blood test showed a positive result for a metabolite, a breakdown product, but not the narcotic substance itself.
Politically, Nyberg has left the Sweden Democrats and become an independent MP in the parliament. According to swedenherald.com, Katja Nyberg has said she will leave the SD but keep her seat in parliament. Nyberg previously worked as a police officer and was the Sweden Democrats' spokesperson on police issues, and was part of the 'Ravekommissionen' drug squad in the 90s. Katja Nyberg is a former police officer, and her departure from the party follows the scandal that began with her arrest.
Unresolved questions persist about a bag with white powder found in a handbag during a search when Nyberg was stopped. It is still not known what the bag contained after over three months. According to TV4 Nyheterna, Leif GW Persson described the bag as not meeting the prosecutor's expectations, otherwise the case would have been clear long ago, and he also noted that a chemist could determine the bag's contents in an hour, but it has taken over three months, suggesting something strange. The delay in analysis raises questions about what exactly the white powder contains and why it has taken so long to identify.
Leif GW Persson questions whether the metabolites could have arisen in another way, as no active drug substance was found.
Legally, no charges have been filed against Katja Nyberg yet, but confusion surrounds the timing of the investigation decision. Over-prosecutor Anders Jakobsson was expected to announce a decision on the case this week but did not, while the investigation into Nyberg's suspected drunk driving is in its final stages, with a decision expected next week. Anders Jakobsson says he will either drop the preliminary investigation or proceed with charges, but won't say which today. This indicates conflicting information about when a key legal decision will be made, impacting public and media expectations.
The legal consequences of driving without a license are significant, as it is considered unauthorized driving, which can lead to fines, conditional sentences, or prison. Over-prosecutor Anders Jakobsson says if that's the case, she has committed a legal offense. Nyberg's lawyer declines to comment on the incident, and it remains unclear what specific penalties she might face or whether this will affect her parliamentary status. The new preliminary investigation adds another layer to her legal troubles.
Leif GW Persson says the bag did not meet the prosecutor's expectations, otherwise the case would have been clear long ago.
Potential parliamentary implications are rare but possible. A member of parliament can be removed from office if shown to be clearly unfit due to a crime, as decided by a court, with the crime needing to be serious (e.g., not drunk driving, minor drug offences, or minor assault). The demand for an MP to resign can be raised by the prosecutor or the court within criminal proceedings. A member of parliament has only been removed in this way on two occasions: in 1996 for gross fraud and in 2001 for assault and molestation. According to swedenherald.com, Rebecca Heinemann described it as very rare for an MP to be removed from office in this manner, and MPs suspected of crimes may choose to leave their seats voluntarily without court proceedings, but the parliamentary administration has no statistics on this.
Nyberg's professional background adds complexity to the case. She is a former police officer and was part of the 'Ravekommissionen' drug squad in the 90s, giving her insight into drug enforcement. Nyberg previously worked as a police officer and was the Sweden Democrats' spokesperson on police issues, and was part of the 'Ravekommissionen' drug squad in the 90s. This experience contrasts with the allegations against her, highlighting the personal and professional stakes involved.
Leif GW Persson says a chemist could determine the bag's contents in an hour, but it has taken over three months, suggesting something strange.
Several unknowns remain woven into the ongoing developments. It is still not known what the bag contained after over three months, and will prosecutor Anders Jakobsson drop the preliminary investigation or proceed with charges against Nyberg for the suspected drunk driving and drug offenses? According to TV4 Nyheterna, Leif GW Persson described questioning whether the metabolites could have arisen in another way, as no active drug substance was found, raising questions about how the metabolite detected in Nyberg's blood test arose and if there is an alternative explanation. The current status of the new preliminary investigation initiated after Expressen's revelation about Nyberg driving without a license is also pending, with further legal and political repercussions likely to unfold in the coming weeks.
Nyberg says she moved the car in connection with a cleaning day and had no one else to help.
Over-prosecutor Anders Jakobsson says if that's the case, she has committed a legal offense.
Anders Jakobsson says he will either drop the preliminary investigation or proceed with charges, but won't say which today.
Anders Jakobsson says if the license is revoked, it is normally considered gross unauthorized driving.
It is very rare for an MP to be removed from office in this manner.
Katja Nyberg has said she will leave the SD but keep her seat in parliament.
Katja Nyberg denies taking cocaine or driving drunk.
The Swedish Transport Agency's decision to revoke her driver's license is based on a blood test showing a metabolite in her body, not evidence of drugs in her blood.
Katja Nyberg says the metabolite is not an active substance.
The Swedish Transport Agency found she had 0.12 per mille of alcohol in her body, but Nyberg says this does not mean she was driving drunk as the limit is 0.2 per mille.
In Sweden, it is a crime to have drugs in your body, and since this is a metabolite it is seen as a minor drug offense.