Questions Emerge Over Estonian Air's Hockey Sponsorship
Prime Minister Andrus Ansip says Estonian Air should be subject to a special audit in order to determine how much taxpayer money was used to sponsor the Ice Hockey World Championships last year.
Speaking in Parliament during question time today, Ansip said the Ministry of Economic Affairs has put sponsorship expenses at 170,000 euros, but that clarification was needed, reported uudised.err.ee.
"I have also read an article in which it was claimed that the real cost was much greater than […] 170,000 euros. I don't know how to comment on those claims," Ansip said.
"It's evident that finding out the truth in this matter is in the general interest and assertions of confidentiality are in my opinion not appropriate in the given instance," Ansip said, adding that the matter would be discussed at tomorrow's Cabinet meeting.
He said an audit is also needed for the sake of consistency, as another publicly owned company, the Port of Tallinn, is being probed over its sponsorship of the Estonian Olympic Committee.