EKRE makes a U-turn in Madison phone-embezzlement scandal

The board of the Conservative People's Party (EKRE) decided not to expel Jaak Madison from the party's ranks after the MP was found guilty in a smart phone embezzlement case a week ago.
The board said it will give Madison a fair chance to prove his capabilities in Parliament, but have assigned a mentor for Madison in 67-year-old EKRE MP Arno Sild. The party's faction also backed Madison, saying resignation from Parliament would be unproportional.
Martin Helme, deputy head of the party, said last week when the story broke that Madison, only 23, should resign, adding that he is personally deeply disappointed.
Madison, 23, was fined 100 euros by the police for selling a phone found on a ferry, narrowly escaping criminal charges. Madison at the time worked on the ferry and decided to sell the phone and not report it according to official procedures.
Madison himself said that voters alone, in the next election, can charge him, and he would not resign as an MP even if expelled from the party.
Editor: J.M. Laats