Pruunsild: Case against me politically motivated
Businessman Parvel Pruunsild, whom the Prosecutor's Office has charged with aiding former Tartu Deputy Mayor Priit Humal's procedural restrictions violation, said that the real reason behind the charges is political.
"I have received and read the charges, while they hardly include anything surprising. The prosecutor has been indulging in fiction, and I believe it is a good thing this case will be moving to court as it should become clear there that no laws were broken," Pruunsild told ERR.
"I'm still of the mind – as put by Jürgen Ligi – that Pruunsild is to blame for law enforcement taking an interest in him, that sponsoring political parties is what has gotten me into this 'mess,'" the businessman said. Asked whether he believes the case against him is political, Pruunsild said he is quite convinced of it.
"The designs in the charges, where Priit Human and I have been associated financially, they've been contrived and no mistake. It was especially amusing to read from the summary of the charges that there are no victims and beneficiaries. I believe it characterizes this whole affair," Pruunsild noted.
Parvel Pruunsild donated a total of one million euros to political parties last year of which €700,000 to Isamaa and 300,000 to the Conservative People's Party (EKRE). This total would have been grander still had the Center Party not returned its donation of €300,000.
Sakala: No plan yet for the ERM exhibits building
Pruunsild said that as far as he is aware, the Sakala fraternity has no concrete plans yet for the former Estonian National Museum exhibition building that's at the heart of charges.
Karl Kaur, member of the board of NGO Sakala Fraternity's Alumni Assembly that acquired the property, said as much, adding that the fraternity bought the plot because it used to belong to it and for future use.
The Prosecutor's Office on Monday sent to Tartu County Court a case where it charges Priit Humal with violating procedural restrictions on a grand scale and Pruunsild with aiding said offense. According to the charges, Humal attended various Tartu city government meetings where buying the ERM building was discussed and urged the city to give up on its plan of acquiring the property in Pruunsild's favor. The latter wanted the building to go to the Sakala Fraternity of which he is a member. Sakala bought the property for €1.22 million in January of last year.
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Editor: Mari Peegel, Marcus Turovski
