A close friend of Swedish King Carl Gustaf has apologized for a controversial attempt to contact criminals in an effort to counter allegations made in an unauthorized biography on the monarch, dpa reported
The king Tuesday said he welcomed the "clarification" and said he rejected "any kind of negotiations with criminals," according to a palace statement.
In his apology, issued late Monday, the king's friend Anders Lettstrom claimed full responsibility for the failed attempt and apologized to his "family, friends and not the least the king since they have been harmed by my initiative."
The unauthorized biography published last year alleged the king had risked his security by attending private parties at sleazy nightclubs.
The allegations resurfaced in a new book published Friday, claiming that friends of the king contacted alleged criminals in a bid to buy incriminating photographs from the owner of the nightclub where some parties were staged.
The go-between, who was asked to contact the nightclub owner, taped conversations with friends of the king discussing a possible deal, according the new book, The Swedish Godfather.
The deal fell through, but Lettstrom has been identified on some recordings that have been aired. The talks included paying money to the nightclub owner who in return would retract his statements made in the unauthorized biography
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