Savisaar files false report

TALLINN - The North Estonian police prefecture levied the mayor of Tallinn, Center Party chairman Edgar Savisaar, a 9,000 kroons (577 euros) fine for not including a 2.7 million kroons loan in his 2009 economic interests declaration, reports Postimees Online. “A fine of 9,000 kroons was charged for the misdemeanor, the decision will come in force in 5 days,” the prefecture’s spokesman Mihkel Loide said. Till then, Savisaar can appeal the decision.

The North Estonian police prefecture launched misdemeanor proceedings on Sept. 2, as Savisaar had submitted incomplete data in his 2009 declaration of economic interests, failing to include in it the loan that was granted to him first by OU Bravotex and later by Liechtenstein businessman Peter Kaiser.

Last week the weekly newspaper Eesti Ekspress reported on the matter. Savisaar noted via the Tallinn press office Raepress then that the declaration was not submitted in a timely fashion due to “human error” and because of a psychologically difficult period in his life, as he was then in the middle of a divorce, and in connection with this his financial obligations changed as well.

The head of the Financial Intelligence Unit, Raul Vahtra, noted that the unit discovered the large money transfers to Savisaar in the course of routine checks and, as these amounts were not involved in money laundering, the unit forwarded the information on the transactions to the police.

Savisaar had received the loan from a company owned by the sons of another Center Party politician, Ain Seppik, in order to cover the costs of the division of property during his divorce proceedings from his former wife, Vilja Savisaar.
The Center Party chairman said that he could not understand why Eesti Ekspress published the news concerning the investigation without turning to him for comments. He remarked that he had intended to submit an amended declaration of economic interests to the depository.