Police search Parnu Mayor’s office

Oct 24, 2008
TBT Staff in cooperation with BNS

PARNU – Estonian Security Police have searched the offices of the mayor and deputy mayor of Parnu as part of a widening investigation into possible corruption surrounding the city’s road maintenance tender.

"The proceeding was opened to look into suspicions that officials of the Parnu city government tried to groundlessly create favorable terms and advantages for a company participating in the public procurement tender for the maintenance of Parnu roads and streets that was announced in May," spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office Kulli Kivioja told the Baltic News Service.  

Even though the company did not win the tender, it is suspected that officials bended the public procurement rules in order to ensure the bid of the preferred company succeeded, she added.

The Parnu unit of the security police and the prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings on the basis of the Penal Code article dealing with breach of public procurement rules conviction for which carries a jail sentence of up to one year.

"In connection with this, searches are being conducted at the Parnu city government on Friday. Nobody has been interrogated and formal suspicions have not been brought against anybody," Kivioja added.

The chairman of the city council, Ahti Koo, said that as far as he knows investigative bodies have not previously shown interest in Parnu procurement tenders.

Koo said he was sincerely glad that a new company was finally looking after roads and streets of Parnu. In his words, Baltifalt, which had won all tenders in previous years, did a very poor job and city roads were falling into a state of disrepair.

"I've been trying for the last three years to establish why the service provided by Baltifalt was below standard," he said.

Baltifalt itself reportedly not being investigated alongside the city officials.

The security police started a search of the offices of Parnu Mayor Mart Viisitamm and Deputy Mayor Simmo Saar early Friday morning.

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