Tartu Deputy Mayor Ousted, Others Under Scrutiny
In a vote of no confidence on May 23, the Tartu City Council fired Deputy Mayor Karin Jaanson, who oversaw the city's financial affairs. Jaanson, who is a member of the People's Union party, was at the helm while two other city officials allegedly embezzled city funds.
Twenty-nine city councilors voted for the move and 15 against. Jaanson will be compensated three months' pay.
Coalition partners Reform Party and IRL also called for no-confidence votes against the head of the city's resources department, Urbo Vaarmann, and the head of the culture commission, Natalja Trošina, both of whom are Centre Party members. Their cases will be considered on June 2.
On March 28, the national security agency KAPO arrested Tartu's education director Boris Goldman and head financial specialist Irina Aab on the suspicion that the two had been involved in embezzling city money since 2008. Both officials resigned two days later.
Tartu Deputy Mayor Jüri Sasi, in charge of education and culture, handed in a letter of resignation in early May after the two were charged.
Mayor Urmas Kruuse has said that there is still too little information for him to decide whether to resign himself.
Ott Tammik