Corruption, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Legislation
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Friday, 26.04.2024, 12:00
Estonian prosecutors say nothing criminal in 'roof money'
Estonia 200 said in
its request to the chief prosecutor's office that it suspects the government to
have allocated 25.7 mln euros from the state budget in the interest of
specific political parties or legal persons connected to specific political
parties, and asked the prosecutor's office to investigate whether this may
constitute a violation of procedural restriction or an act of influence
peddling.
In addition, Estonia 200 asked
the prosecutor's office to establish whether the officials were informed that
their actions are causing a risk of corruption and that as a result of such
actions the officials linked to decision-makers are rewarded with benefits the
attainment whereof is not possible by other means; whether a member of the
board of a political party is an official within the meaning of the
Anti-Corruption Act, and whether the fiscal investment was made on the basis of
the special interest of the parties that made the decision.
The Office of the Prosecutor General did not open a criminal procedure as
the cases cited in the request did not entail elements indicative of a criminal
offense.
"In the said case it does not appear from the available information
that for the allocation of resources shown in the state budget assets or other
benefits were promised or provided; hence there is no agreement on influence
peddling. The budgetary appropriation can not be treated as an asset or other
benefit, since it is a result of the aforementioned decision," the chief
prosecutor's office said.
It added that the legislator has precluded the application of the procedural restriction in the preparation of the adoption of the state budget and its adoption. Hence also responsibility in connection with the provision of a designated purpose investment from the state budget is precluded.