"Leaving my life's most important and demanding mission in the overall most difficult situation for Europe's and Sweden's security is, of course, a great sorrow", writes Landerholm on X.
Landerholm is being investigated for suspected negligence with confidential information.
The preliminary investigation aims to determine if anyone can be held criminally liable for this, says prosecutor Per Lindqvist to TT.
He initiated the preliminary investigation on January 22. At the latest in March, the prosecutor must bring charges, since the statute of limitations for the potential crime is two years.
Forgotten documents
Landerholm was employed as Sweden's first national security adviser in the autumn of 2022. He got into trouble in December when DN revealed that he had caused several security incidents.
One of the incidents was that he forgot documents with confidential information in a cabinet at a conference center outside Stockholm in the spring of 2023.
Landerholm states that he has now received information that a preliminary investigation into the incident has been initiated. He also says that this is the reason why he, after talking to the Prime Minister, is leaving his position.
"We agree that I, under the current circumstances, can no longer perform my duties", writes Landerholm.
This is confirmed by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M).
"As I've said all along, it's important not to be careless and not to make mistakes. Now, the legal process will have its course", comments Kristersson.
Henrik Landerholm has a six-month notice period. Annika Brändström, who is the deputy national security adviser, will temporarily perform his duties, according to the Government Offices.
The opposition is critical
Landerholm points out that the incident with the forgotten documents had been reported to the Government Offices' security department. There, it was assessed that no further measures against him were required. "Now we'll see what assessment the prosecutor makes", writes Landerholm.
The Social Democrats (S), the Left Party (V), and the Green Party (MP) have demanded that Landerholm resign. V has also requested that the Constitutional Committee investigate how the Government Offices and Kristersson handled the case with the forgotten documents. S has also raised the question of whether the fact that Kristersson and Landerholm have been friends for a long time had an impact.
The other two security incidents that DN revealed concern a forgotten notebook at Swedish Radio in January 2023 and a forgotten mobile phone at the Hungarian Embassy in December 2022.
