Economic crime report 2004 - Ekobrottsmyndigheten

SKV
• SKV should have limited authority to release classified information
to cooperating agencies on its own initiative.
• Absolute classification at SKV and poorer secrecy protection at the
agencies make it harder to release information pursuant to the general
clause.
• Which investigative method SKV employs is decisive to whether
classified information may be released to a receiver in bankruptcy.
Social Insurance Office
• The social insurance office should have limited authority to release
classified information to cooperating agencies on its own initiative.
For instance, the social insurance office cannot presently contact
the tax authority when it suspects tax fraud. Nor does it have legal
authorization to release information to the Migration Board.
• The secrecy regulations to which the Social Insurance Office is subject
should be overhauled to enable agencies to obtain information
about individuals suspected of welfare cheating.
• The SAMEB of Västmanland County stresses the necessity of allowing
agencies to cooperate for crime prevention purposes without
encountering obstruction from secrecy regulations. Secrecy legislation
should be amended so that the agencies concerned can participate
in the effort.
• As the SAMEB of Västmanland County has previously stated,
secrecy regulations should not keep agencies such as the Social Insurance
Office and County Labour Board from being involved in crime
prevention initiatives. Those agencies have played a very useful part
in the activities of the SAMEB of Västmanland County.
• SKV presented its evaluation of the tax crime unit reform in report
2001:7. The overall assessment is that the reform has worked well
and that the units are ready for the next phase in which they will be
given expanded authority. Among the report’s recommendations is
that tax crime investigators be empowered to hold interrogations that
may subsequently form the basis of a prosecutor’s request.
• Legislation governing secrecy with respect to the tax rolls also needs
overhauling. Despite the fact that tax crime investigators are tax officials,
they do not presently have direct access to the rolls but must
submit a request. They regard the subsequent one-day delay as an
obstacle to doing their jobs efficiently.
110