By Leila Nezirevic
LONDON (AA) – Traces of cocaine were found in the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) after a widely read local newspaper conducted a drug-detective test at the toilets of different political parties.
In an investigative report published on Wednesday, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet stated that its reporter swabbed the toilets of seven Riksdag parties with "cocaine wipes" and discovered traces of cocaine in four of them.
When the Aftonbladet reporter wiped the surfaces, the wipes turned blue, indicating that the surfaces tested positive for cocaine, the daily said.
“In all the samples we received, we found cocaine,” Anders Helander, a hospital chemist and researcher at the Karolinska Institute, told Aftonbladet.
The tests were conducted at all Riksdag chancelleries except the Moderates', where they were conducted on party premises.
Cocaine traces were discovered in the toilets of four political parties, including the Social Democrats, Sweden Democrats, the Left Party, and the Liberals.
Spokespeople for the four parties in question said they were surprised by the findings and that the matter would be "taken seriously," but they also noted that the toilets are public and could have been used by visitors, according to the newspaper.
"Our 28 toilets are available to everyone who needs them, including journalists, administrative staff, and other visitors to our office," Erik Kristow, a senior Sweden Democrats politician, told Aftonbladet.
The Social Democrats said drugs are everywhere in society, which is a “big problem” and that when it comes to toilets in the Riksdag, “we cannot control who has access to them.”
They added that they will take the findings "very seriously," according to the newspaper.