While suspicions of election fraud involving the Left Party in Borlänge are being investigated, yet another preliminary investigation into suspected election crime has begun. In the new case, there is one suspect, and according to the prosecutor, the crime may involve attempting to sell one’s vote. At the same time, the number of appeals against this year’s election results has exploded and now exceeds 5,000.
The new case is being investigated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s special unit and, according to prosecutor Oskar Edvardsson, is not connected to the high-profile investigation in Borlänge.
– The classification is undue advantage in voting, Edvardsson told SVT.
The prosecutor does not want to go into further detail about the suspicions but explains what kind of actions may be covered by the provision.
– For example, it could be someone attempting to sell their vote. READ MORE: Left Party candidate swindled municipality for half a million and convicted of four crimes
One person is a suspect in the investigation. Where the suspected crime took place has also not yet been fully determined. According to Edvardsson, the issue of location may be complicated if the action was digital.
– The location can be a bit fluid if it happened electronically. It’s an ongoing investigation. We’ll see how it develops, he says.
Separate Investigation into Left Party Votes in Borlänge
The new case is independent from the ongoing investigation in Dalarna, where the National Unit Against Corruption is investigating suspected undue influence in voting. At the center of attention there is Left Party politician Mohamed Abdukardir Ali from Borlänge, who, through 648 personal votes, leapfrogged the party’s top candidate in Dalarna and entered parliament. However, Ali is not himself formally suspected of a crime at this time.
Media reports indicate that before the election, police had been conducting surveillance and had observed, among other things, people handing out Left Party ballots where a candidate was already pre-ticked, as well as vehicles driving voters to and from polling stations.
Aftonbladet also reported that police documented cash withdrawals and that money was subsequently distributed along with ballot papers. The exact intent behind the money remains unclear, though there are suspicions.
The first police report was filed on September 1. The preliminary investigation was later dropped due to insufficient evidence but was reopened after new information came to light.
After a reported incident on election day, September 13, another police report was filed. The police’s national operational department, Noa, has since taken over the investigation. Ali denies any involvement.
– That’s completely, completely wrong. I haven’t done it. I know the law. I have earned trust in every district in Dalarna. And that’s not something I could do, such a serious crime, against Swedish law, he says.
READ MORE: Clan voting? Left Party’s unknown Somali MP UNDER INVESTIGATION for election fraud
Left Party politician Ahmed Abas Omar, who is on track to win the top spot for the party in Borlänge’s municipal election by personal votes, is also included in the investigation. Both he and Ali have notified that they are taking a time-out from their political duties for the time being. Exactly what that entails is unclear.
Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar has so far avoided all media questions and has not commented on the criminal suspicions against her party colleagues.
Now Three Suspects in Borlänge
Altogether, since the investigation was reopened, three people are now suspected in the election fraud probe in Borlänge, according to SVT. Initially, two people were suspects, and when the investigation resumed this Monday, a third suspect was added.
The third suspect is, as of writing, not named. None of the suspects have yet been formally notified of suspicion of a crime.
Over 5,000 Appeals After the Election
Meanwhile, the Election Review Board has received an exceptionally large influx of appeals after the election. According to TV4, the number had passed 5,000 on Wednesday – more than 3,000 of which came in just since the previous day.
This can be compared to a total of 723 appeals after the 2018 election and 460 after the 2022 election. The volume is so large that the Election Review Board needs to reinforce its organization with extra staff from the Parliamentary Administration.
Among the cases that have been reviewed so far are reports of undue influence, irregularities during vote reception, and other objections regarding how the election was conducted. Because thousands of cases have yet to be registered, it is unclear how many are about the same incidents or how many may turn out to be unfounded.
When asked whether the huge number of new appeals is connected to the information coming out of Borlänge, the Election Review Board’s chief of staff Emma Hellman replied:
– I cannot comment on that.
Only once registration is complete will the board have a comprehensive picture of what the thousands of appeals actually concern.