A tape of a recorded interview reveals that the court was misled in 1989. Foto: SVT

The Court was Misled During the Palme Murder Trial

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Police in the Palme Commission enticed addicts with large sums of money to get them to testify against Christer Pettersson. When a witness testified to this during the trial, it was denied by the prosecutor. Mission Investigate has gained access to the tape proving that the court was misled.

In 1987, the government raised the reward for decision information on who killed Olof Palme to 50 million crowns.

This large reward has been a common theme throughout the entire Palme investigation. Throughout the years, several addicts have claimed that the police enticed them with money and manipulated their statements.

Fallet Christer Pettersson

”The police enticed me with a lot of money”

One of them is Christer Pettersson’s friend Harri Miekkalinna. In the Stockholm District Court in 1989, he related what one of the officers had told him:

”If you help us, you will be able to not just buy the house, but the entire town.”

He also said:

”I want to underline that the police enticed me with this money. That there was 50 million in the pot.”

But these accusations have never been proven. The police and district attorneys have firmly denied the statements from the addicts. “Utterly wrong,” said district attorney Jörgen Almblad in 1989.

Witness claimed to have been manipulated

Hans Ölvebro, former head of the investigation, says that of course officers were not allowed to imply that witnesses and others would receive large sums of money if Christer Pettersson was convicted.

”Anyone who did such a thing would have been removed,” he tells Mission Investigate.

Another addict in Christer Pettersson’s circle who talked about police methods was the witness known as Ulf. He was interviewed about Pettersson’s alibi during the night of the murder.

Got out the recording

Ulf claimed that the Palme Commission had manipulated him and said that he would receive 50 million crowns if Pettersson was convicted. That’s why he provided incorrect information about Pettersson, which he later retracted.

In court, head district attorney Anders Helin got out the recording from the interview with Ulf, and said:

“Do you know what I have here? I have the tape from the interview. There is nothing on this tape that indicates that they mention the number 50 million.”

”You can’t do that”

But Mission Investigate can now reveal that the court was misled by one of Sweden’s most prominent district attorneys, now that we have the tape of the recorded interview.

It shows that Ulf the addict was correct.

Officer: If he gets convicted, you know... Then you can buy your horses.

Ulf: Are you saying I would get a reward for this?

Officer: You know how much is in the pot.

Ulf: Yeah, so I would get that money?

Officer: 50 million.

Attorney Leif Silbersky has been provided with Mission Investigate’s material. He says that what it brings to light is a disgrace.

”This is a disgrace, which disgraces the Swedish police force. You can’t do that. It is clearly misconduct. They’re lying. They’re providing incomplete material,” says Silbersky.

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Fallet Christer Pettersson

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