Prosecution to challenge police executives' acquittal

The Office of the Prosecutor General has filed an appeal with the Tallinn Circuit Court against a ruling by Harju District Court that acquitted former high-ranking police officials Eerik Heldna, Elmar Vaher and Aivar Alavere of charges of official document forgery and fraud.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the circuit court could reach a guilty verdict after evaluating all the evidence in its entirety.
State Prosecutor Jürgen Hüva said the prosecution remains convinced, based on the evidence examined in court, that Eerik Heldna's formal appointment to the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and his same-day rotation to the intelligence center violated the requirements of the Civil Service Act.
"The prosecution also considers it proven that Heldna's appointment to the PPA was merely nominal — that is, in April 2019, he had no actual intention of performing service duties at the PPA in the future," Hüva said.
The Prosecutor's Office believes that the district court assessed the evidence in a one-sided manner and reached erroneous conclusions regarding guilt based on selective details.
"The court did not consider the evidence in its entirety, and as such, its conclusions do not, in the prosecution's view, reflect the actual circumstances of the case," the state prosecutor noted.
"After a thorough analysis of the ruling, we maintain that Heldna's appointment and immediate rotation were a facade, intended to create the appearance of eligibility for a police pension. Therefore, we are requesting that the Tallinn Circuit Court annul the Harju District Court's decision and convict and sentence the defendants on all charges brought against them," said Jürgen Hüva.
On March 31, Harju District Court acquitted former senior police officials Eerik Heldna, Elmar Vaher and Aivar Alavere of charges related to fraudulent job rotation.
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Editor: Urmet Kook, Marcus Turovski