Minister Condemns Fraud: 'Unacceptable'

Following Expressen's revelation that three personal assistants in Malmö have been reported to the police for faking a trip to Ghana, the Social Services Minister has reacted.

– This is completely unacceptable, says Camilla Waltersson Grönvall.

Three personal assistants in Malmö have been reported to the police for pretending to accompany a client on a five-month trip to Ghana.

They received salaries during this time but were actually still in Malmö, as revealed by Expressen today.

Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M) is strongly critical of how this could happen.

– It is deeply problematic that we have a situation where municipal employees can commit fraud and misuse taxpayers' money intended for vulnerable individuals, she says.

Need for Better Procedures

The case is a clear example of how welfare crime has become a systematic problem, according to the minister. She emphasizes that this is not an isolated incident.

Camilla Waltersson Grönvall believes that municipalities have a significant responsibility to detect and stop this type of crime.

– It's great that this administration discovered the fraud, but one wonders how much goes undetected? How could this go on for months without being noticed? How is it possible not to even show a booked trip, for example? This clearly shows a great need for procedures in municipalities to detect welfare crime.

In April, the government launched an investigation into crime within personal assistance. According to the minister, a new follow-up system is needed.

– Incidents like these undermine trust in welfare systems and unfortunately show that it is far too easy to abuse our systems, says Camilla Waltersson Grönvall.

The municipality in Malmö has reported the three assistants to the police and is demanding repayment of the salaries paid.

The police are investigating the incident.