Supreme Court Upholds Ex-Mayor's Embezzlement Conviction
The Supreme Court today cleared former Paldiski mayor Jaan Mölder of breaching public trust, but upheld an embezzlement charge.
His conditional sentence was reduced to 18 months.
In December 2012, Harju County Court gave the former mayor of Paldiski, Jaan Mölder, a suspended jail sentence of two years and awarded the city over 80,000 euros in damages.
Mölder was found guilty of abusing public trust in 2009, while mayor of the coastal town of 4,300, which is home to a strategic port and military bases. In addition to the suspended jail sentence, Mölder was banned from working in any public sector position with access to fund allocation.
Mölder was convicted for laying off six officials close to him and then paying them unauthorized bonuses. Some officials actually continued work, even though they received severance pay.