Repinski articles win investigative journalism award
This year's Bonnier Prize, Estonia's most prestigious award for investigative journalism, went to Marian Männi of the weekly Eesti Ekspress for her articles on former Minister of Rural Affairs Martin Repinski's goat business.
The articles, which alleged that part of the goat cheese sold under Repinski's Konju Farm label had actually been produced in the Netherlands and accused Repinski of lying to the public, led to the minister's resignation after just two weeks on the job last fall.
The winner of the Bonnier Prize receives a €5,000 prize from Swedish media group Bonnier and Estonian business daily Äripäev.
Other nominees included Koit Brinkmann of Äripäev for two stories about Tallinn's waste business, Tuuli Jõesaar from Eesti Päevaleht for an exposé on the alleged miracle supplement Cellfood and Tuuli Koch, Risto Berendsen and Oliver Kund from Postimees for articles about the Port of Tallinn's passenger ferry tender.
Eesti Express' allegations
Investigative weekly Eesti Ekspress published an article the day that Ratas' government was sworn into office last November alleging that the Repinski-owned Konju Organic Farm had sold goat cheese labeled as an Estonian product despite part of it being ordered from Dutch company De Molkerei.
Repinski responded to the allegations by denying any fraud, claiming that no Konju Farm products sold in Estonian stores contained cheese sourced from the Netherlands.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS