Savisaar may escape going on trial for health reasons
Former longtime Center Party chairman and deposed mayor of Tallinn Edgar Savisaar, 66, may escape having to go on trial in Harju County Court for health reasons.
The matter of Savisaar’s health will likely be on the agenda at preliminary hearings.
As medical records constitute delicate personal data, the court will handle these behind closed doors and information regarding this will not be passed on to the public.
Should the court find based on a medical examination that Savisaar is currently unfit to stand trial and, should he be convicted, carry out a sentence, the proceeding against him will be terminated. In such a situation, however, it will remain possible to reopen the case should his condition improve.
The court is also able to remove his materials from the criminal case and suspend his trial.
Edgar Savisaar’s defense attorney Oliver Nääs declined to provide a comment regarding the matter to ERR.
Preliminary hearings to begin in mid-February
In mid-December, Harju County Court scheduled the first preliminary hearing in the graft case involving Savisaar and the co-accused businessmen for Feb. 16. During the preliminary hearing, the court will resolve any requests and determine the schedule of court sessions. The criminal case will be heard by Judge Anne Rebane.
The State Prosecutor’s Office has accused Savisaar of using Tallinn city budget funds in the interests of himself and the Center Party, i.e. embezzlement on a large-scale basis, as an official and in a group, as well as of four cases of accepting bribes, money-laundering and accepting large-scale illegal donations to the Center Party.
The Center Party has been accused as a legal entity of accepting large-scale illegal donations.
Businessmen Aivar Tuulberg, Alexander Kofkin, Hillar Teder and Vello Kunman have been accused of bribing Savisaar.
Tallinn City Council chairman Kalev Kallo has been accused of aiding bribery and the accepting of bribes, while ex-politician Villu Reiljan has been accused of arranging bribes to Savisaar and Priit Kutser has been accused of aiding embezzlement.
The Prosecutor’s Office called off criminal proceedings involving seven officials due to the absence of the necessary grounds as the officials’ actions were not based in intent to appropriate city property to the party or individuals associated with the party.
Party finance watchdog issues new warning to Savisaar
The Estonian Supervisory Committee on Party Financing (ERJK) has set a new deadline for Edgar Savisaar to repay a forbidden donation of 116,643 euros to the City of Tallinn as ordered by the Supreme Court as well as issued the ex-party chairman a penalty of 1,500 euros.
On Jan. 9, following Savisaar's request for a deadline extension in December, Nääs notified the committee that Savisaar was in the middle of negotiations with the Center Party, whose representative was expected to contact the ERJK regarding the matter in the near future.
Committee deputy chairman Kaarel Tarand has told ERR that if either Savisaar or the party does not pay the ordered amount back into Tallinn city coffers, the Ministry of the Interior may withhold state subsidies to the Center Party.
Editor: Aili Vahtla