Port of Tallinn corruption case: Trial to begin on 7 May
The Harju County Court decided in a preliminary hearing on Tuesday to begin with the trial of former managers of Tallinna Sadam (Port of Tallinn) in spring this year, setting the first trial date for 7 May.
The company is to provide written evidence to the court within a month's time, after which the defence will have time to examine it before the beginning of the trial.
The court also discussed the application of prosecutor Laura Feldmanis to leave the trial of Jan Paszkowski, a former member of the management board of Polish shipbuilding company Remontowa Shipbuilding, to Poland. Mr Paszkowski, a Polish national, is accused of bribery in the criminal case concerning Tallinna Sadam.
The court decided to take up the issue in the main hearing in spring, as any decision in the matter can be made only by the court trying the case, a fact that attorney of the defence Aivar Pilv has pointed out previously as well.
Former managers Allan Kiil and Ain Kaljurand are accused of having accepted substantial bribes as well as of money laundering. The offences were committed between 2005 and 2015.
The charges followed a criminal investigation by the Internal Security Service (ISS/Kapo) that lasted some three years.
The former head of Tallinna Sadam's service department, Martin Paide, is also accused of having accepted a bribe. Seven more individuals and two businesses are also accused of bribery as well as of being complicit in a corruption case, Mr Paszkowski being one of them.
According to the statement of charges, Mr Kiil and Mr Kaljurand accepted large bribes from these individuals and businesses to keep relations with Tallinna Sadam as smooth as possible, the BNS wrote.
Over the course of a decade, they agreed, acting together as well as separately, to accept bribes in the total amount of almost €4 million.
The biggest portion of the money, approximately €3 million, came as a bribe promised to Mr Kiil by representatives of Turkish and Polish shipbuilding companies in exchange for contracts to build ferries for Tallinna Sadam subsidiary TS Laevad.
According to the statement of charges, Mr Paide was ready to accept a bribe of more than €40,000, Mr Kaljurand of approximately €400,000 and Mr Kiil of €3.5 million. While the former got their money, Mr Kiil only received some €2 million before he was arrested along with others on 26 August 2015.
Editor: Dario Cavegn
