STOCKHOLM — Sweden has indicted a 47-year-old man suspected of handing information to a Russian diplomat, the Swedish Prosecution Authority said.
The prosecutor said in a statement on Monday that the man, who was not identified, had worked as a consultant at several Swedish companies, including Volvo Cars and truckmaker Scania, where he had illegally obtained and sold information, placing the country’s security at risk. Public service broadcaster SVT said the man was Swedish.
“While a consultant at his former workplaces, I allege that he obtained material with the purpose of providing information to a foreign power, in this case Russia,” prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said. “The man was apprehended while meeting a Russian diplomat where he had just received 27,800 Swedish crowns ($3,360) from the diplomat.”
SVT reported that the man being charged had passed on information from Volvo and Scania, which is a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group.
Volvo told Automotive News Europe that the company was aware of this matter but has no further comment at this time.
A Scania spokesman confirmed to Reuters that the man had worked as a consultant at the truckmaker.
The authority said the man had transferred material from computers to memory sticks as well as photographing the screen of his work computer, adding the crime could carry a sentence of up to six years in prison.
“The crime is serious and, if convicted, the suspect could expect a lengthy sentence,” Ljungqvist said.
