Stefan Lundberg is one of Sweden's foremost experts on economic crime and is often seen as an expert in the media.

He is also one of those who have reacted to the culture of silence that he believes is spreading at the Swedish Environmental Crime Agency since the current Director General Monica Rodrigo took office in 2018.

"Pure insults"

During the autumn, his immediate superior Helena Norman has made it clear that she wants to get rid of him.

It starts during a meeting where he questions some of the authority's strategic documents.

Then he is asked to stay after the meeting.

- She calls them confidential conversations and thinks that they are part of her managerial task to hold such conversations.

But we do not perceive them as confidential conversations, but as pure insults, says Stefan Lundberg.

Four people tell Assignment Review that they have been "scolded" by Helena Norman, who is the head of the unit for communication and crime prevention work.

One of the employees chooses to resign after, as she herself says, she has been exposed to the meetings several times, which she has experienced as deeply offensive.

- As time went on, we felt increasingly bad at the unit, says Stefan Lundberg.

Colleagues: Obvious bullying

In his role as union representative and safety representative, Stefan Lundberg calls Helena Norman and says no, according to him.

He is then called to an investigative meeting.

The minutes state that he had "a very critical tone that was neither respectful, constructive nor sensible" in the telephone conversation.

He is also told that he "created concern about the unit".

New demands are introduced on him, colleagues find it painful to see how he is treated at weekly meetings.

They write to the union chairman that "none of us want to witness this obvious bullying" and appeal for an external review of the work environment.

In the end, Stefan Lundberg is offered a severance pay, which he refuses.

- I felt that then the employer would get away with harassing and reprimanding an employee who just did his duty and raised his hand and said no.

The employer instead chooses to relocate Stefan Lundberg.

He is forced to leave the crime prevention work to become an operational prosecutor instead - a job he has not had in 20 years.

The union: A punitive deployment

The Akavia trade union believes that Stefan Lundberg has been subjected to a punitive placement.

The union's lawyers intend to pursue his case further in a central dispute hearing.

Helena Norman tells Assignment Review that she always has respect for the individual's experience, but that it does not have to mean that she shares the view of the actual course of events.

The Director General of the Swedish Environmental Crime Agency, Monica Rodrigo, says that the case is a matter between Stefan Lundberg and Helena Norman.

If one of your bosses relocates such a central figure, do I think you have to stand behind the decision?

- I have delegated the responsibility for the individual employees to the managers I have.

Does this mean that you do not consider yourself responsible for this decision?

- Of course I am responsible.

I'm responsible for the whole authority, of course.