Arts Academy Comes Under Finance Ministry Scrutiny
The Ministry of Finance has launched its own probe into the stalled construction of the Academy of Arts new main building.
"The ministry is launching proceedings over the contract between the Academy of Arts and Skanska EMV AS from August 24, 2011, concerning the construction of the [Academy's] new building, and the alterations made into that contract after that date," the ministry's spokeswoman Mailin Aasmäe told Eesti Päevaleht.
The specific contract concerns construction of a pit retaining wall and lease of the steel sheet piles for the construction.
The ministry said that the probe into the legitimacy of the contract is being launched after a tipoff from the Ministry of Education over potential violations of the Public Procurement Act.
This is the second ministry investigation into the long-suffering construction project. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education launched a probe into the Academy's real estate dealings. The investigators found some minor breaches of financial regulations.
Erkki Sivonen