Print

Mail

wiki links

New suspect arrested in Anna Lindh murder case

Swedish police yesterday arrested a new suspect in connection with the murder of foreign minister Anna Lindh, and dropped charges against a man detained earlier, Chief Prosecutor Agneta Blidberg said.

She said there was a higher degree of suspicion against the latest arrest than the previous suspect, Per Olof Svensson. With regard to Svensson, she told a news conference: "He is no longer suspected of the murder."

No evidence would be disclosed until prosecutors had deliberated with the Stockholm Court about his detention. By law, prosecutors have three days in which to present the court with evidence justifying a suspect's continued detention.

Leif Jennekvist, head of the Stockholm police serious crime division, described the new suspect as being "not unlike" the man whose picture was captured on video in the NK department store where Lindh was stabbed on Sept. 10.

The TT news agency quoted a source close to the investigation as saying that police had strong evidence against its new suspect.

"We are certain that we have got the right man," the source told TT.

But in contrast to the media frenzy about Svensson's background and lifestyle, there was little immediate information about the new suspect in Swedish media.

Jennekvist stressed that the investigation had been conducted on a broad front, with the police pursuing "several parallel leads."

Svensson was released yesterday, the TT news agency reported, quoting prison staff.

Lindh was stabbed while shopping and succumbed to her injuries the following day.
This story has been viewed 2416 times.