The regional director deleted emails requested by the media

In connection with the local newspapers within Sörmland's media, Eskilstuna-Kuriren, Katrineholms-Kuriren and Sörmlands Nyheter, Region Sörmland's and the municipalities 'handling of corona infection during the spring examined the newspapers' criticism of information management.

Sörmland's media said that the municipalities and the region talked together about a strategy regarding what information should be disclosed to the media.

And that they made it difficult for newspapers to obtain public documents.

Both the region and the municipalities rejected the information, saying that the reason why they did not disclose certain information was about patient confidentiality and ethical considerations.

Reported to the Ombudsman

Eva Burman, who is the publisher responsible for the three newspapers, reported several actors to the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman initiated an investigation and in connection with this, Region Sörmland started its own "in-depth investigation".

They have come to the conclusion that the Regional Director Jan Grönlund deleted, or lost weight, three emails after they were requested by Sörmland's media.

It concerns correspondence between several municipal leaders where the regional director is one of the recipients.

When SVT interviewed Jan Grönlund on May 12 this year after the accusations of thinning were directed against him for the first time, he claimed that he deleted the emails long before they were requested.

Questioning suitability

In the press release that Region Sörmland sent out on Tuesday evening, Jan Grönlund admits that he deleted emails that had been requested.

- It was clumsy of me to thin the email after the request came in.

I should have given it up.

But I have never had any intention of hiding anything.

The thinning was done with reference to the fact that the emails were out of date and of little importance to the region.

It is clear from the content of the email that has been recreated, he says.

The Regional Board writes in its statement to the Ombudsman that they can question the suitability of thinning after a request has been received, but notes that the emails deleted were insignificant for Region Sörmland and that the thinning did not affect public transparency.

SVT Sörmland has contacted Jan Grönlund for a comment.