Ratas: No link between loan to Porto Franco, Teder's donation to Center
Prime Minister and leader of the Center Party Jüri Ratas said on Wednesday there is no link between businessman Hillar Teder's donation to his party and the Porto Franco real estate development receiving a support loan from the Center-led government.
"I can confirm that there is absolutely no connection there," Ratas said in his reply to MPs of the opposition Reform Party who inquired if the €60,000 donation made by Teder to the Center Party is linked to the support loan granted to the Porto Franco development led by Teder's son.
Ratas said that this interpretation is arbitrary and added that the claim has already been refuted by both Teder and Center's secretary general Mihhail Korb.
Ratas said all Kredex loans and grants exceeding €10 million must be discussed by the government.
According to the prime minister, the general secretary of the party informs the party's board, but Ratas does not know on what date he became aware of the donation.
"And whether that date is before or after the government's decision on Porto Franco, it has no role to play in this," he said.
Regarding the criticism from the Reform Party, Ratas pointed out that Teder had previously made donations to the Reform Party of over €650,000 euros in the last eight years.
He said linking the donation to the development of Porto Franco will damage the reputation of the entrepreneur and Estonian business.
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Editor: Helen Wright
