According the newspaper Dagens Industri, Larsson sent a text message the afternoon of January 18th which read, “Hi, we’ll soon be sending out a release stating that both Switzerland and Norway are requesting binding offers for the Gripen.”
Half an hour later the press release was sent, which quickly caused Saab stock to jump three kronor (50 cents).
When markets closed the stock had risen more than seven kronor.
According to Dagens Industri, Larsson had sent similar text messages in the past.
“Such behavior is totally unacceptable. It stands in direct conflict with what is stated in our listing agreement,” Anders Ackebo, head of the stock exchange’s market surveillance division, told the paper.
Larsson recently left Saab to take over as press secretary for foreign aid minister Gunilla Carlsson.
Saab’s new director of communications Cecilia Schön Jansson says that the company would naturally never send out text messages ahead of press releases.