TALLINN - Two former Estonian government ministers and the CEO of the Baltic's biggest construction firm have been named suspects in a wide-ranging investigation into corruption.
Estonia's Security Police, Kapo, is investigating whether bribes were exchanged in return for favorable land swap deals between construction companies and government ministries.
Villu Reiljan, former environment minister, and Ester Tuiksoo, former agricultural minister, have both been named official suspects, alongside construction company Merko Ehitus and its CEO Toomas Annus.
The recent naming of suspects comes more than a year after the case was first launched. Recent weeks have seen a flurry of activity at Kapo headquarters, with a string of people being called to answer questions.
The allegations center on a series of land exchanges between the Land Board, a department of the Environmental Ministry, and several businessmen, Einar Vettus, Tarmo Pedisaar and Tullio Liblik. The former Land Board director general Kalev Kangur has also been named a suspect.
The land exchanged was deemed unprofitable because it was restricted by environmental controls, however the businessmen were able to swap it for government-owned land in better locations.
The case has now widened to include allegations that Tuiksoo, the former agricultural minister, accepted a bribe to relocate her ministry to a new Merko-constructed building called Delta Plaza.
Tuiksoo denied any wrongdoing, and said the tender process to find a new premise for the ministry resulted with no suitable applicants.
Reiljan, the former head of the People's Union party, aired Kapo's allegations against him during a press conference on Oct. 16.
Reiljan said police believe he received an apartment in a Merko building at a discounted price, and he is further alleged to have taken part in a hunting expedition that was paid for by the company.
In his defense, Reiljan said he had never received land, apartments, money or other benefits. His lawyer, Aivar Pilv, has called for more detailed allegations to allow his client to defend himself.
Merko Ehitus and Annus said it was "incomprehensible" why they were named suspects, and said the company had acted within Estonian laws.
Under Estonia's criminal justice system, suspects are publicly named and their alleged wrongdoings aired before any charges are laid.
Prosecutors said that it was possible that charges may not be brought against people named as suspects if there was insufficient evidence.
