Swedish prosecutor says royals may legally be bribed

Aug 20, 2010, 14:24 GMT

Stockholm - Sweden's top anti-corruption prosecutor said Friday that the country's royals could not be pursued for alleged bribery, in a legal loophole which he said should be changed.

Stockholm prosecutor Gunnar Stetler made the remarks while announcing that an investigation into alleged bribery of Swedish Crown Princess Victoria over her recent honeymoon trip was being dropped.

In remarks to the German Press Agency dpa, Stetler explained the law and then added that in his view this should be changed.

'The ban on corruption applies to consignees and employees of the state service,' he said.

'But the Crown Princess's position is inherited,' Stetler added, explaining narrow difference why the corruption ban does not apply to the royalty.

Then, without prodding, he added: 'If you ask me whether this should be changed, my answer would be yes.'

He said it was 'somewhat unfortunate' that under current law, a person could be prosecuted for attempted bribery of, for example, the prime minister, but not for the same regarding the royals.

Stetler is chief of the prosecution office's 'unit for corruption cases' and had been called in after the unit had received six complaints into 'improper' wedding gifts received by Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel.

After their June wedding, the royal couple went on a honeymoon trip underwritten by billionaire businessman Bertil Hult, including a flight to Tahiti on his private jet, a week-long cruise on his luxury yacht and then the use of a house in the US state of Colorado.

The royal palace had defended the honeymoon tour, saying 'it was a private trip and a wedding gift from an old friend of the royal family.'