The probe was triggered by a criminal complaint against a former minister’s aide including four flavors of nicotine pouches made by a company from the minister’s hometown.
Helsinki police have completed a preliminary investigation into incidents surrounding the drafting of proposed legislation on nicotine pouch flavors, and found that no crime had occurred.
The police investigated the aide to the former chairman of the Swedish People’s Party and former minister of education Anna-Maja Henriksson had breached official duties in drafting the proposal to reform the Tobacco Act.
According to a criminal complaint, the aide, Anna Abrahamssonhad promoted the business activities of Strengberg’s Habit Factory, a company based in Jakobstad, Henriksson’s hometown.
The criminal complaint was filed in October of Timo NurminenCEO of a Habit Factory competitor, Valo Sweden, which manufactures nicotine pouches in Sweden.
At the time, Nurminen said he wanted to know who was responsible for including four nicotine flavors made exclusively by Habit Factory. In addition to menthol and mint, the other four flavors included in the original proposal were tea, rosemary, ginger and wood.
The flavor regulation for nicotine pouches aims to prevent minors from using the pouches and becoming addicted to nicotine.
The decision to include the four other flavors led some to suspect that Henriksson had favored the company from her hometown. Another complaint on the matter was also lodged with the Parliament’s Chancellor of Justice.
Henriksson, who now serves as a member of parliament, has defended the aide’s actions in the matter.
Police: No crime committed
According to the inspector Katariina Rinnethe authorities do not suspect that the helper committed a crime.
“Given the legal and political nature of the legislative process, the aide’s job description — and the fact that there is no reason to suspect that (the aide) was connected to the company, the police have no reason to suspect that the aide has committed any crime in the matter,” says Rinne in a press release.
After news broke of the matter in October, Social Security Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (NCP) said the government would table a revision to the bill removing the extra four flavors and only include mint and menthol.
During its assessment of the case, the NBI interrogated both Abrahamsson, Henriksson and Grahn-Laasonen.
According to the police inspector, the helper could not have been required to independently enter the nicotine pouch market in a way that could justify criminal liability.
In a report on the probe, it says that Henriksson said that when the legislation was being put together, the aide had presented a variety of flavors that could be considered so-called adult flavors, and which could be included in the bill.
Any negligence in reviewing statements, entering the market and taking into account EU legislation is not punishable, the police statement said.
According to the police, no other officials are suspected of crimes in the case either. The police agency noted that an assessment of the department’s responsibility in the case was not made, as it does not have such jurisdiction.
