Tarand in trouble over MEP election financing
MEP Indrek Tarand and a number of individual candidates at the European Parliament elections in May did not reveal bank accounts connected to their campaigns, leading to the Political Party Funding Oversight Committee to ask the police to open an investigation.
Kaarel Tarand, the bother of Indrek and the vice chairman of the committee, told Õhtuleht election law states that candidates have to reveal bank accounts which handled donations and campaign expenses, and the failure to do so is a misdemeanor offense.
As Indrek Tarand and a number of other candidates did not produce the necessary documents, the committee passed the case over to the police.
The offense could lead to a fine for Tarand and the others in question.
Tarand was the only individual candidate in Estonia to win a seat in the European Parliament, with 43,000 votes. Tanel Talve, a TV host, collected 10,000 votes, with Silver Meikar (6,000) and Kristiina Ojuland (3,000) other top non-party candidates.