More than 400 Reform members have criminal record, 233 serving sentence
The Reform Party's list of members includes 442 individuals with a criminal record, 233 of whom are currently serving a sentence, daily Päevaleht wrote on Wednesday. Another five on the paper's list have left the party by now.
According to the party's secretary-general, Erkki Keldo, they are currently going through their member lists to check for criminal records themselves as well.
"Indeed, as it turns out there are people among our members for whom we don't have information regarding their criminal record," Mr Keldo said. He added that it is the job of Reform's local branches to look into the background of people applying for membership.
The party is looking for its own black sheep following earlier media reports of hundreds of individuals with a criminal record across several other parties. According to Mr Keldo, Reform is looking into every case individually, and the local branches will boot anyone found inadmissible out of the party.
"The Reform Party's headquarters will work out a technical solution as well to get updated information about members' records," Mr Keldo added.
The majority of the party's previously convicted members, about two thirds, are young men. 233 party members are still serving their sentence, and 137 were convicted for serious crimes.
Editor: Dario Cavegn