Perling: Prosecutor's Office didn't fail with Savisaar trial
Acting Prosecutor General Lavly Perling does not consider the so-called Savisaar trial a failure on the part of the Prosecutor's Office, and found that there is less corruption in Tallinn city government than ever before, thanks in large part to the trial.
"Things can always be done better," said Perling, who served as prosecutor general until the end of October and is continuing to serve as acting prosecutor general until February 2. "But we didn't fail. Especially if you consider where we came from. The goal was to eradicate corruption in Tallinn city government. As for what concerns [Tallinn ex-mayor] Edgar Savisaar, we can't change that, and we accept the court ruling."
Perling highlighted plea bargains struck with Villu Reiljan and Hillar Teder, who pleaded guilty. Also found guilty in the trial were the Center Party itself as well as Center politician Kalev Kallo.
"What's most important right now is that there is a guilty verdict regarding the majority, and there is less corruption in Tallinn city government than ever before," she said.
The acting prosecutor general asked what the alternative might have been from the point of view of the Prosecutor's Office.
"The Prosecutor's Office goes to court when it is convinced that there is sufficient evidence," she explained. "The easiest thing to do would have been to terminate things, because then there would have been no not guilty verdicts either."
All in all, Perling rated the Prosecutor's Office in the Savisaar trial a 6-7 out of 10.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
