Tax Agency head fired by finance minister

Ingemar Hansson, head of Sweden's Tax Agency, was fired Thursday by Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson, a decision she said had been in the works for some time.

Hansson was recently in the spotlight after Swedish Television found he tried to help his partner, who lives at another address, negotiate away a bill from an architectural firm. Although Hansson did not mention his position at the agency, the architects told Swedish Television they recognized his voice and knew who he was and felt uncomfortable as he tried to get them to drop the bill.

That recent incident, however, did not prompt the minister's decision. She told reporters at a press conference that she believed for a while that the agency needed a new top management team.

In addition to Hansson's ouster, the agency's deputy general director stepped down late last year amid another scandal when she tried to warn a former colleague that his assets were being investigated by journalists as part of the Panama Papers investigation.

"I am now looking to recruit a new team, both the director general and the deputy director general," said Andersson, who met with Hansson on Thursday.

Andersson said new leadership at the key agency, which essentially ensures the nation's finances are guaranteed, would also help repair any damage to its public image.

"We have a better chance with a new management team to restore confidence," Andersson told reporters.

Hansson would remain as general director until his replacement is found, a process that Andersson said was already underway. She also added that Hansson, a long time civil servant, would possible be given a new assignment at the ministry.