Reps: Savisaar was acting solo in recent years
According to Mailis Reps, a member of the Center Party’s leadership who had read the statement of charges against Tallinn ex-mayor and former longtime party chairman Edgar Savisaar, the latter had been acting solo in the organization of party financing in recent years, with the party leadership unaware of his activities.
Daily Postimees (link in Estonian) reported that in 2014, Savisaar and then-party finance secretary Kalev Kallo had wanted an urgent concealed donation from the United Russia party, however this failed as the businessman who had promised to arrange the matter had lied about their contact with the Russian party’s secretary-general. Nonetheless, this incident did not lead to any charges.
In Reps’ opinion, Savisaar and his companions’ understanding was that a friendship existed between the two political parties, however they did not reach the point of sharing money.
"During his final years, Savisaar was acting solo," Reps noted. "I suppose we are all indirectly responsible for what has happened thus far; we are responsible for the fact that we have all endured in the party for so long at all, however such requests for money did not occur on the level of the leadership, and appealing to Russia for money came to an end for me with the Eastern money scandal."
In her opinion, "The fact that it was attempted to be done again is a sign that this must have been done out of Savisaar’s desperation or feeling of impunity."
Reps confirmed that the Center Party’s leadership was unaware of Savisaar’s plans.
Editor: Editor: Aili Vahtla