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Asked by to comment on the allegations made by the weekly Eesti Ekspress in its Wednesday edition, Aas described some of the claims as being "not true from the very start." These are claims having to do with Sarapuu's activities in the transport business, he said.

Some of the allegations meanwhile should be subjected to checks, according to Aas. "We will go over the tenders once again," the acting mayor said. "I think that it would be enough for now if we subject them to a review together [with Arvo Sarapuu]."

"If questions arise, we will decide," Aas said when asked if an audit was necessary. "We will definitely take a stance," he said.

Sarapuu said through spokespeople for the city government earlier on Wednesday that he has "no public or concealed interest whatsoever in the waste handling company BWM – all claims to the contrary are false and misleading."

"I can also confirm that I do not take part in the day-to-day business of the companies of ATKO Grupp and therefore not all the technical details are known to me," Sarapuu said.

"Several businesses use the services of companies of ATKO group: both the companies which rent territory in the said compound as well as those that need a more specific service, first and foremost that of maintenance and washing of large vehicles. I can also confirm that all public procurement tenders have bee conducted by the Environmental Board of Tallinn in a correct manner, debated over in courts, and the winners announced based on that," Sarapuu said.

"The article in [Eesti Ekspress] leaves the impression that my whole activity in the transport business so far is based solely on connections of power. Tenders for county bus services are conducted by county governments and the Center Party hasn't been a part of them for very many years. And nor would companies of ATKO Grupp earn additional money with free public transport, because ticket revenue would disappear and the difference would be paid for by the state," Sarapuu said.

An article published in the Wednesday edition of Eesti Ekspress claimed that Margo Tomingas, Sarapuu's son-in-law and manager of the ATKO transport group belonging to Sarapuu, is secretly taking control of more and more of the city's waste handling operations.

Sarapuu is responsible for matters of waste handling in the structure of the city government of Tallinn.

Eesti Ekspress says it has information demonstrating the existence of close and diverse ties between Tomingas, ATKO and the waste transport company BWM, which has been victorious in the waste tenders held by the city government in the last two years with offers that often are not even the cheapest in the tender.

Although Sarapuu has denied any link with the waste business, BWM's waste trucks are parked, maintained and repaired at ATKO, the weekly said.