SAPTK takes Office of the Prosecutor General's Tarand decision to court

The Foundation for the Protection of Family and Tradition (SAPTK) has filed an appeal against a court ruling with Tallinn Circuit Court challenging the Office of the Prosecutor General's decision not to launch a criminal investigation into former MEP Indrek Tarand.
Kaebaja leiab, et põhjendatud pole riigiprokuratuuri seisukoht, nagu poleks tõendatud Tarandi poolt kuriteo toimepanemine SAPTK-i vara omastamise näol, teatas SAPTK-i juht Varro Vooglaid. Eriti arusaamatuks jääb sihtasutusele riigiprokuratuuri seisukoht, nagu poleks Tarandi poolt 2000 euro ulatuses SAPTK vara omastamine piisavalt manifesteeritud ja nagu oleks vastava tahte väljendamine ERR-i portaalis avaldatud artiklis käsitletav pelga kalambuuri ehk vaimuka naljana.
The appellant found that the Office of the Prosecutor General's stance that Tarand's guilt in the misappropriation of SAPTK's assets had not been proven to be unjustified, SAPTK chairman Varro Vooglaid said. SAPTK fails to understand in particular the Office of the Prosecutor General's stance that Tarand's appropriation of SATPK's assets in the amount of €2,000 had not sufficiently manifested, and as though the expression of this intent as stated in an article published by ERR's online news portal could be treated as a mere pun or witty joke.
"The appellant has on several occasions proven that Indrek Tarand has both in emails and in addressing the public repeatedly manifested that he wants and and considers the money twice transferred to him to be his, and will make (or has made) it his, and will leave the previous owner (SAPTK) permanently without the money that belonged to it," the appeal, filed on Sept. 14, states. "Based on statements made to the public, any bystander and objective observer can deduce that Indrek Tarand wants to continue to behave as the owner of the money transferred by SAPTK."
According to Vooglaid, the decision of the Office of the Prosecutor General is being contested because it is impossible to agree with the latter's justifications.
SAPTK sends Tarand €2,000 in donations
On May 23, SAPTK transferred a total of €2,000 from its account to that of Tarand, writing in the details field, "Donations of several readers of Objektiiv in support of Mart Rieberg and Meelis Osa."
As Rieberg and Osa transferred the same amount of money to Tarand pursuant to their court-approved settlement, SAPTK board chairman Varro Vooglaid demanded that Tarand return the extra €2,000. The latter has yet to do so.
In June, SAPTK sought for the Northern District Prosecutor's Office to launch a criminal investigation; the latter declined to do so. District Prosecutor Ülle Jaanhold found that based on SAPTK's report, there were no grounds for launching a criminal investigation.
"When transferring [the money], it was not specified what the donation to Indrek Tarand had been made for, nor did it specify in advance the conditions under which Indrek Tarand was required to accept or return the donation," Jaanhold said.
According to the district prosecutor, Tarand's activity did not involve any characteristics of the section of the Penal Code on embezzlement.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla