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Millions of youth investment taxes went to travel and hotels, hidden with fake bank statements
Of: Johanna rapp, Mattias Sandberg
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The district administration paid out 1.5 million in grants, despite the fact that the sports association failed in its accounts.
Now Aftonbladet can reveal that more than a million are missing and that a fake bank statement was used to conceal the use of money for flights and hotel nights.
– My hope is that the tax money will be recovered, which may not be as likely, says district director Patrik Åhnberg.
The city of Stockholm, through the Skärholmen district administration, has over the past two years paid SEK 3 million to organize festival 127, a popular event where young people can try out different sports, among other things.
A million missing
The agreement is with the sports association KFUM JKS Stockholm and has been signed by its president and the then district director.
Aftonbladet’s review shows how just over a million crowns has disappeared last year and instead of going to the festival, among other things, he has had to pay for hotel nights, flights and taxi rides, according to a police report from the administration.
As early as 2018, there were deficiencies in the association’s accounts on how fiscal funds were used.
An internal email to the district administration reveals several deficiencies.
But despite this, the district administration in 2019 again paid SEK 1.5 million to the association.
Photo: Tobias Gyllensvärd, Skärholmen District Administration.
Patrik Åhnberg, district director of Skärholmen, thinks it is “regrettable” that the money has gone.
Tax money went to private travel
Internal documents with the administration show that an association employee is suspected of falsifying a bank statement to hide that all the money was gone.
When the association finally reviewed the transactions on his account, a “large number” of transactions were discovered that were not linked to the festival.
The sports association decided to declare bankruptcy and founded a new association.
“A little bit hard”
“Yesterday we had a meeting where we decided to proceed with a bankruptcy application. This decision is based on the fact that we have received more information and more debts than we did not know before. Right now it’s below SEK 2 million “wrote the association to the administration.
In connection with this, an employee of the administration wrote to the association about the lost tax money:
“Is it a little difficult to ask directly if you have in your bankruptcy application that you owe money to the administration? It is good for us to know that it is included, we have auditors on us to correctly report the tax money ”.
Has informed the police
The association does not want to comment on the money lost. But in a minute of an additional annual meeting in December, it appears that the board filed a police report.
– I have no comment, says Ram Cornejo, who was president in connection with the bankruptcy.
According to information from Aftonbladet, a former employee is suspected within the association. Aftonbladet has searched for the person without success.
The district administration has also informed the police.
Photo: Magnus Wennman
The Skärholmen district administration paid 1.5 million in grants to a sports association that had previously failed on its accounts.
“Sad”
Patrik Åhnberg, district director of Skärholmen, thinks it is “regrettable” that the money is gone, but believes it will be difficult to recover the lost money.
– I have a hard time seeing that we can recover them, because there is nothing of value left in the bankruptcy estate.
Even though there were deficiencies in the association’s accounts on how they used the money in 2018, it still paid 1.5 million SEK in 2019, why?
– I only took over as head of administration later and cannot explain what considerations were made then. What I can say now is that a payment has been made, a police investigation is underway and that it is my job to make sure this does not happen again.
“Highly criminal”
When asked if it was reasonable for the money to be paid, Åhnberg responds:
– Based on the knowledge that I have today, the administration had not proposed to the board of directors that a new agreement be signed.
Regarding the falsified bank statement that the administration was able to see, Åhnberg says:
– I can only say based on how I feel about it. It is highly criminal behavior.
According to the district administration, his claim on the association is just over a million crowns.
“Inadequate”
Johan Kling (C), chairman of the Skärholmen district committee, was present when the decision was made in the committee in 2019.
-We have received a poor foundation when we made this decision, he says.
Was there any document that showed deficiencies in the accounts?
– No, he didn’t do what I remember.
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