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Swedish MP convicted of drugs offences

Published: 16 May 12 15:26 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/40874/20120516/

William Petzäll, an independent Swedish MP who quit the Sweden Democrats last year amidst a battle with substance abuse, was convicted on Wednesday of drugs crimes.

In handing down the guilty verdict, the district court in Varberg, western Sweden, also ordered Petzäll to pay 17,100 kronor ($1,860) in fines.

According to the court's ruling, the 23-year-old Petzäll tested positive for three narcotics-classified substances, including morphine, for which he had no prescription when he underwent a drug test in January 2012.

The drug test also revealed Petzäll had two additional narcotics-classified drugs in his systems, but he was able to prove to the court he had a prescription for both.

Petzäll said he plans to appeal the ruling, which he labeled "idiotic".

"I'm really pissed off, to be honest," he told The Local.

"It's ridiculous to punish people who are suffering from addiction."

Petzäll added that he hoped to use his position in the Riksdag to draw attention to what he considered to be a stain on the Swedish criminal justice system.

"Drug crimes policy isn't something that's discussed much in Sweden," he said.

"It's horrible that drug addicts are stigmatized in the way they are. You can't stereotype immigrants or homosexuals, but all drug users are lumped together into a group that deserves to be punished with fines or prison."

In addition to the fines, Petzäll must also pay 1,325 kronor to cover the cost of the chemical analysis as well as 500 kronor to Sweden's Crime Victims Fund (Brottsofferfonden).

Petzäll entered the Riksdag following the 2010 general elections, which resulted in the far-right Sweden Democrats gaining representation in the Swedish parliament for the first time.

But Petzäll announced last autumn he was leaving the Sweden Democrats to deal with a substance abuse problem, but would remain in parliament as an independent.

Less than a month later, Petzäll was involuntarily committed to a substance abuse treatment centre to prevent an overdose.

In February 2011, Petzäll spent a night in jail after a drunken outburst, prompting his first time-out from politics.

TT/David Landes
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16:08 May 16, 2012 by joe5451
"Petzäll ska, förutom de 30 dagsböterna, betala kostnaderna för en rättskemisk undersökning, som kostade 1 325 kronor. Han ska även betala 500 kronor till brottsofferfonden. Sammanlagt ska Petzäll betala 18 925 kronor"

Forgot to translate some of that, David :)
16:09 May 16, 2012 by prince T
Williams and other low lives are the ones people like Calebian22, Migga and others voted for. Look at what has become of sweden.. It is a great shame
18:53 May 16, 2012 by calebian22
Wow, I am honored! An islamist troll mentioned me before I even commented on this story. I am not a Swedish citizen, so I have not yet voted in the national election. However, SD will have my vote when my citizenship is approved before the 2014 election. Suck on that one, an immigrant voting for an anti-immigrant party. Geez, could it be that not all immigrants are detrimental to Sweden? Could it be that SD is not anti immigrant, but is against will-not-assimilate, will-not-work immigrants? No, that is not possible! They are just racists, right?
19:23 May 16, 2012 by Uncle
All the "low lives" are waiting until the discussion about imams who tell "prince T"s four wives not to report "prince T" to the authorities for beating and raping them, as well as the article about children of "prince T" receiving special treatment in schools, will open. That is why the reaction was a bit delayed here...

But no, that is right, voting for SD member who apparently took drugs is much more low-life than defending those who encourage violence in family, jihad against infidel civilians and marriage to 10 y/o girls.
19:28 May 16, 2012 by Migga
@ prince T

How do you know my voting record? I`ve never voted for Wiliams, low lives or SD. If you don`t have anything decent to say and only try to denigrate others then you will only make yourself look bad. Why make it personal? It`s apperent that you have a hard time dealing with other peoples opinions, which differs from yours. Sad.
00:33 May 17, 2012 by gh2008
@calebian22

soon i will get my citizenship approved too, and so does my entire family (in a pure Middle Eastern sense). our votes will go against yours.

unlike you, i have 4 / 5 options to go with :p

problem?
08:20 May 17, 2012 by calebian22
gh2008

Not really, since in order for SD to be the fly in the ointment, a true king maker, they only need to grow large enough to be the swing vote. PVV in Holland is a perfect example of progress that I can't wait too see. Oh how so many would scream "Racism!" and "What is wrong with Sweden?!" if SD hit 15% in 2014.
10:31 May 17, 2012 by Uncle
@gh2008

"unlike you, i have 4 / 5 options to go with"

Unlike to some, it is clear to many that moderaterna already started talking about the problems with immigration (in a full Middle Eastern sense). Soon an improvement of the current immigrants situation on the ACCOUNT of limiting the flow of whatever comes here, will be on the table.

So there will be no need to vote SD. It will be enough to go with the 40% of Swedish population so the family of gh2008 would not turn into "extended family" in Sweden.
11:24 May 17, 2012 by prince T
Calebian22 your comment about me is a confirmation of paranoa of your colour blind problem. LIke they say racist brains are shallow. For your information, I am not a muslim, i was never and i will never be a muslim. I dont support what they do but using them as a basis of election is foolishness. It is funny that you are immigrants yourself. Shallow minded people like you does not know that are wither than white are those who SD does not want in swede. they are not only against muslims but all non ethnic swedes. dont be deluded Calebian22.
11:24 May 17, 2012 by towns
@gh2008

Maybe you should vote for the Centre Party. After all, Annie Lööf wants to import 30 million immigrants to Sweden, as she herself said.

And I have a feeling she isn't talking about the 5 million people of Swedish origin living in Canada and the United States being included in that 30 million.
11:37 May 17, 2012 by prince T
Towns, I assume that you do not have a job and you will not understand that sweden is losing professional workforce. there will soon be heavy shortage of doctors and engineers in sweden because most of them are retiring. Sweden is already importing doctors. the doctor that i met at the vårdcentralen could not speak a sentence of swedish correctly. I had to change the discussion to english. this would never have happened if sweden had rehabilitated the immigrants in the land. what has become of sweden.
12:23 May 17, 2012 by towns
@ prince T

Actually I'm educated and currently working as a civil/structural engineer. I'm also involved in property development and management but it's difficult to get started in the real estate development business in Sweden for the little guy because of all the regulation dictating what sort of colored tiles you are allowed to have on the roofs in your townhouse project. That's why only the big guys like Skanska and NCC AB get all the construction here because they have enough money to start with so they can afford to deal with all the paperwork and ridiculously high property taxes. So for now I'll stick with working as an engineer. It's also very difficult for architects to get a job here (I know and have worked with quite a few), especially when the economy goes downhill.
15:24 May 17, 2012 by Uncle
prince T

"sweden is losing professional workforce. there will soon be heavy shortage of doctors and engineers in sweden because most of them are retiring."

How is this connected to THIS immigration? I am completely baffled.

Sweden also needs space industry engineers and researchers. Let's go to Somalia and Afghanistan to find them.
01:14 May 18, 2012 by prince T
Uncle

How smart can you be UNCLE. somalia and afghan would be the cheapest option. However on a more serious note hiring integrated immigrants would be the best option. I have an immigrant doctor friend that could not get even a pratik in sweden. He is currently gainfully employed in oxford university in UK. My friend thought his employment would be automatic in Sweden because he studied in eurozone. THE EARLIER WE WAKE UP TO THIS FACT THE BETTER. THE OUTCOME OF LACK OF PROFESSIONALS CAUSED BY sd and the votes of people here would be worse than Greece. LEARN FROM NORWAY, CANADA AND UK TO MENTION A FEW. Sweden trains people and let them go away just like that as in the case of P hD holders. God help us
10:26 May 23, 2012 by sureiam
@uncle

@ T prince

Good point on jobbs + proffesonals ............
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