The MP, Maj. Gen. Meelis Kiili, who also sits on the defense committee, addressed other members in a letter dated October 7, stating that: "Six months have passed since the Riigikogu election, and during this time the commission should be working at full tilt, yet it seems to me that we could better characterize our activities as a smooth process rather than the systematic promotion of national defense."

While Kiili did not name Kalev Stoicescu, a security expert often asked for media comment, in the address, many committee members would interpret it as such, ERR reports.

"Naturally the committee does not wield executive power, but our responsibility is to exercise legislative oversight and call for the elimination of deficiencies," Kiili started his letter, which was made available in the minutes of the committee's meeting on Monday, daily Eesti Päevaleht reports.

Other committee members have had criticisms of what they call Stoicescu's passivity; an unnamed member noted that: "We cannot accept a situation where civil supervision over the defense forces is not carried out, and will not be carried out, because the chairman of the committee is fearful."

Another charge related to Stoicescu having seen no reason to convene a defense committee meeting on an emergency basis, following the rupture in the Balticconnector gas pipeline, earlier this month.

Stoicescu himself says that the entire committee's reputation, as well as that of the entire Riigikogu, has been harmed as a result of the "leak" of Kiili's letter, adding that he put the Baltticonnector item on the committee agenda three times, but since Kiili was unable to attend any of these three occasions, he abandoned the attempt, adding that no other committee member demanded the topic be discussed.

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