Tallinn city government dismisses Nääme
The Tallinn city government has dismissed Alar Nääme (Center) from his position as elder of the Kesklinn city district following his final conviction of a criminal offense.
The duties of the Kesklinn city district elder will continue to be fulfilled by deputy Jüri Lump until a new city district elder is appointed.
As the Supreme Court of Estonia rejected the appeal of Nääme’s attorney, the court judgment reached by Tallinn Circuit Court last September, in which his conviction remained unchanged, entered into force.
On Sept. 20, 2016, the Tallinn Circuit Court decided to leave unchanged a Harju County Court judgment from last summer in which Nääme was fined 6,300 euros for the embezzlement of city funds.
The county court handed down the sentence to Nääme sought in litigation by State Prosecutor Inna Ombler.
The Office of the Prosecutor General charged Nääme as an official in illegally using nearly 2,800 euros in Tallinn city budgetary funds.
According to the charges against him, Nääme organized two concerts at the Valga Cultural Centre in January and February 2015 which were free for participants and organized in order to influence local voters to vote for him in the 2015 Riigikogu elections.
Tallinn's Kesklinn city district elder Alar Nääme was running as the Center Party’s candidate for Valga, Võru and Põlva Counties at the time.
Concert expenses paid for with Tallinn budget funds
Nääme was accused of arranging for the events’ expenses to be paid out of the budget of Tallinn’s Kesklinn city district government in order to avoid having to spend his own money on his election campaign.
According to the charges, funds from the Kesklinn city district government budget were used to pay for the events’ rental fee, transportation, catering, music and equipment rentals.
According to information collected during the preliminary investigation, Nääme arranged to advertise the event to the residents of Valga with flyers which also introduced Nääme as a candidate for the Riigikogu and included Center Party logos as well as the candidate’s campaign promises.
Opposition to hit city council chairman with no-confidence motion
Tallinn City Council's opposition is also planning on submitting a no-confidence motion against council chairman Kalev Kallo (Center) at the council's next session on Jan. 26.
Kallo is among those who, together with ex-mayor and longtime former party chairman Edgar Savisaar and the Center Party itself, have been charged by the Office of the State Prosecutor for committing crimes involving bribes, illegal dontions and embezzlement.
Editor: Editor: Aili Vahtla