Suspected election fraud in Borlänge is being investigated again after internal criticism

The police in the Bergslagen region, which includes Borlänge, received a tip that someone was driving around in a car with ballot papers where Mohamed Abdukardir Ali's (V) name was crossed out. An intelligence operation was launched where the police, according to DN's sources, must have seen how people were driven in the car and stopped at ATMs where money was withdrawn, something Aftonbladet was the first to report on. The reconnaissance mission was documented with photos and film.

The suspicion was raised that people entitled to vote were induced to vote for the left-wing party.

- That they were paid, and that it was organized, says one of DN's informants.

A police report about "improper actions during voting", colloquially known as electoral fraud, was received by the National Anti-Corruption Unit at the Public Prosecutor's Office on September 1, where prosecutor Oskar Edvardsson was the preliminary investigation leader.

Police work was handled locally by the Bergslagen police region. Among other things, police officers who participated in the reconnaissance operation wanted to search the car they had searched in order to look for crossed ballots.

But they were refused by the head of the preliminary investigation, who decided on September 8 that the investigation should be closed. The reason was evidence problems.

According to DN's sources, the fact that the police were not allowed to work further on the case aroused both surprise and frustration internally.

- There were proper complaints that it was a wrong decision. That we were stopped from getting to the bottom of this.

The information about the closed police investigation and that there could have been electoral fraud in Borlänge was passed on higher up in the police organization, to the national election staff.

When the vote count was completed after election day, it turned out that the relatively unknown Mohamed Abdukardir Ali, who became a Swedish citizen as late as February this year and is undergoing debt settlement with the Crown Enforcement Agency, received a direct ticket to the Riksdag via personal votes.

Then the irritation was brought to life again, DN's sources describe.

- Police officers were super frustrated. We have to work on this further, because it could actually be election fraud. If it is the case that someone has entered the wrong way, it is extremely serious. Then we can't just let this go.

Contacts were made between the national electoral staff and the Bergslagen police region, and suddenly the investigation was "full speed ahead" again.

- Then it went quickly. We brought the prosecutor with us and on Monday the investigation was taken up again.

DN has sought prosecutor Oskar Edvardsson at the National Anti-Corruption Unit, who is leading the investigation, without success. He has previously told Expressen that new information had come in, without specifying which.

The criminal classification of improperly acting when voting is unusual. DN's informant describes that there is a lack of practice within the police to investigate such suspicions.

- This is quite unknown criminal material and probably not everyone understands the importance of what may have happened here either. This should have been followed up nationally by the Police Authority, and also by the Security Police.

DN has applied for Mohamed Abdukardir Ali. He has commented on the information about election fraud for SVT:

- I haven't done it. I know the law.