The verdict against Aleksandr Gontšarov, 54, entered into force on Wednesday. Gontšarov, who had retired five years ago, was detained on Jan. 6 and taken into custody two days later. He admitted his guilt during the pre-trial investigation.

The first-tier Harju County Court found him guilty of enabling illegal access to state secrets and sentenced him to two years and four months, six months of which were to be served immediately and the rest not required if he did not commit a new offense within a probation period of two years and six months. Gontšarov didn’t appeal.

Gontšarov had worked in different positions in the security police between 1994 and 2011. In September 2011 he took home various documents and data storage media that were in his hands in connection with his job. He kept them in the apartments he owned in Tallinn, thereby allowing the materials to be unlawfully accessed by persons not cleared for access to state secrets.