Galojan Sentenced to Five Months
Anna-Maria Galojan, the Reform Party's poster girl and runner in 2007 parliamentary elections, now accused of stealing thousands of euros from a prominent NGO and using it for personal shopping, was convicted by the Harju County Court on May 5 and sentenced to five months in jail.
The 28-year-old was also given a 17-month suspended sentence and four years probation after her conviction for abuse of office and embezzlement, rus.err.ee reported.
Galojan spent as much as 60,000 euros belonging to the European Movement Estonia on a number of shopping sprees from June to September of 2007, when she headed the non-profit organization. The purchases included clothing, jewelry, luxury accessories and footwear, as well as trips to beauty salons and travel.
After the court decision, Galojan claimed that the case against her had political overtones and has vowed to appeal.
Steve Roman