The Swedish Transport Agency confirmed on the afternoon of Thursday January 29th that Sweden Democrat Member of Parliament Katja Nyberg had narcotics and alcohol in her blood when she was stopped by police on December 28th 2025, according to reports from the broadcaster TV4 and the TT newswire.
Earlier in the day, the government had decided to remove Nyberg from the positions she holds on several police and law-related "transparency/integrity councils" (Swedish: insynsråd), which are intended to provide guidance and a form of citizen oversight in Swedish state agencies.
Nyberg had also previously been the Sweden Democrats' spokesperson on police issues.
What was known about the allegations against Nyberg before these test results?
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet broke the news about Nyberg's suspected drunk driving on January 8th. At that time, it was reported that she was stopped by police over the holidays (Swedish: mellandagarna, the holiday days in-between Christmas and New Year's) under suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
According to Aftonbladet, the police found a bag of suspected cocaine when she was searched. Her driver's license was confiscated by police, and it was reported that she was suspected of aggravated drunk driving and drug offences. Rapid tests showed suspected drug influence.
Nyberg, a former police officer who sat on numerous police agency committees on behalf of the government, has consistently denied the allegations, and claimed the stop by police was related to a hunting incident.
Prosecutor Anders Jakobsson, however, bluntly told Aftonbladet that it was not a hunting accident, and that if Nyberg had been hunting it must have been "a rat, or something small."
Did Nyberg continue to hold government positions while this was being investigated?
Yes. Rapid test results are not always clear, and Nyberg's denial was apparently enough for her to be allowed to remain not only in parliament but on three police and security "transparency/integrity councils," including the one for the Swedish police's Department for Special Investigations (Swedish: Särskilda utredningars), which describes itself on its website as "an independent and autonomous department within the Swedish Police Authority that investigates suspected crimes that may have been committed by police officers, police students, judges and prosecutors."
On the 14th and 15th of January, key members of Nyberg's party The Sweden Democrats – including leader Jimmie Åkesson and deputy leader Henrik Vinge – called for Nyberg to resign or be dismissed from the Security Service's Integrity Council, the Police's Integrity Council and the Special Investigations' Integrity Council.
"If you figure in a police investigation in this way, you typically do not sit on the same council for the police, the Security Service and special investigations," Vinge said to newswire service TT at the time.
Meanwhile, leading opposition party The Social Democrats called for the government's Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer (Moderate party) to be investigated by the parliamentary constitutional committee for his lack of action allowing Nyberg to continue in her police oversight posts while she herself was being investigated by police.
According to a report filed by the Social Democrats with the constitutional committee, “at least a week passed from the time the suspicions of a crime became public until she was dismissed.”
"That Strömmer did not remove Katja Nyberg from Säpo’s Security Service and from the special unit investigating her herself – that is incomprehensible," said Social Democrat legal policy spokesperson Teresa Carvalho on January 21st.
What happens now?
Swedish Transport Agency Press Manager Mikael Andersson wrote in an email to TV4 that the agency had decided to revoke Nyberg's driving license on Monday. According to the agency it is “likely” that Nyberg will be convicted of drunk driving.
However, TT reports that Jakobsson, the prosecutor, has received analytical material but has not yet decided whether to proceed with the investigation and press charges.
“The case is still being processed and I cannot therefore provide any information at this stage,” Jakobsson said in a press release.
Jimmie Åkesson, party leader for The Sweden Democrats, was set to hold a press conference on the afternoon of Thursday January 29th to present his party's platform for the upcoming election, but then cancelled it on short notice.
Henrik Vinge, deputy party leader for The Sweden Democrats, commented on the case on Thursday afternoon while speaking with the Ekot programme on Swedish radio service Sveriges Radio, saying that if the allegations against Nyberg are true, she will no longer be able to represent their party in parliament.
Katja Nyberg has yet to comment.
Comments (3)