A 16-month investigation into irregularities at Göteborg Energi has been closed down by the District Prosecutor due to a lack of evidence against the suspects.

In 2007, Göteborg Energi made an agreement with Norwegian company Embriq for monthly readings of electricity meters. The project had a budget of 700 million kronor for 270,000 new electricity meters.

The consultant Karin Törnqvist suspected irregularities within the project and thought the project manager, a consultant, also worked for the supplier. For a long time she tried to make the management at Göteborg Energi aware of her suspicions. After SVT TV-program Uppdrag Granskning, looked into the matter, State-Attorney Nils-Eric Schultz decided to commence a preliminary investigation into gross breach of trust. The investigation was launched in October 2010.

However, District Prosecutor Hans Ihrman at the Swedish Prosecution Authority against Corruption has now decided to close the preliminary investigation. He says the circumstances are not concrete enough in order for the investigation to continue. It has not been possible to connect any of the suspects to any criminal offences.

Karin Törnqvist tells Göteborgs-Posten (GP) that she is not surprised.

"I have never considered if what they did was a criminal offence, I don't think so. However, I still think that it is immoral and a wicked waste of municipality finances."

An audit report from KPMG in November 2010 showed, among other things, departures from the supplier agreement and how consultants had dual roles.

The project manager has previously told GP that he did not work on behalf of Göteborg Energi's supplier and also rejected Karin Törnqvist's criticism of how the project was implemented and how he acted.