Police raid journalist's home
Police have raided the house of prizewinning TV reporter Trond Sefastsson, following allegations of fraud, making illegal threats and bribery.
Sefastsson was subjected to two hours of police questioning on Wednesday, after which police carried out a search of his Stockholm home. TV4 CEO Jan Scherman said the raid breached the Swedish constitution:
"Police took all his journalistic material including a computer containing information from protected sources and ten years of investigative material," he said.
TV4 has called in lawyers to protest against prosecutor Malin Palmgren's decision to seize material from Sefastsson's sources.
"This is an extraordinary abuse of justice. The prosecutor has placed herself above one of the most important elements of our constitution, which protects freedom of expression and the protection of sources," Scherman added.
Stefansson has admitted being paid 400,000 kronor by the family of a convicted criminal, but says the money was paid to him in his role as a legal advisor. The family who paid the money say it was in return for Sefastsson producing a report about their relative, who has convictions for serious drug offences.
The journalist was last month suspended as a journalist on TV4 programme Kalla Fakta.
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Sefastsson was subjected to two hours of police questioning on Wednesday, after which police carried out a search of his Stockholm home. TV4 CEO Jan Scherman said the raid breached the Swedish constitution:
"Police took all his journalistic material including a computer containing information from protected sources and ten years of investigative material," he said.
TV4 has called in lawyers to protest against prosecutor Malin Palmgren's decision to seize material from Sefastsson's sources.
"This is an extraordinary abuse of justice. The prosecutor has placed herself above one of the most important elements of our constitution, which protects freedom of expression and the protection of sources," Scherman added.
Stefansson has admitted being paid 400,000 kronor by the family of a convicted criminal, but says the money was paid to him in his role as a legal advisor. The family who paid the money say it was in return for Sefastsson producing a report about their relative, who has convictions for serious drug offences.
The journalist was last month suspended as a journalist on TV4 programme Kalla Fakta.
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