Appeals court acquits top Security Police figures in telephone privacy case

Seppo Nevala

Petri Knape

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The Helsinki Court of Appeal has decided to uphold the earlier verdict of the Helsinki District Court in the telecommunications privacy case involving the Finnish Security Police (SUPO) and the mobile phone services provider Sonera.
      In December of last year, Seppo Nevala, the head of SUPO, and Petri Knape, head of SUPO's operative section, were acquitted on all charges related to malfeasance and violations of communications privacy. State Prosecutors had appealed the decision.
      The acquittal of the former head of Sonera's security unit, Juha E. Miettinen, on all charges, was also upheld. However, the conviction of the former head of SUPO's northern regional unit, Martti Pitkänen, who was sentenced to fines in December for similar charges, remained unchanged.
     
Both Seppo Nevala and Petri Knape have been suspended from their jobs since early September pending the outcome of the court case. In an interview with YLE TV1 news this morning, Nevala said that he wants to return to work as quickly as possible. The final decision on Nevala's position will be made by the Minister of the Interior Kari Rajamäki on Friday.
      The case is linked with the scandal surrounding allegations of tracing of mobile telephone calls of employees of the mobile service provider Sonera by the company's top management. While the Security Police noticed that information had been extracted from Sonera's systems, they did not take any action on the move.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Top Security Police figures acquitted in telecommunications privacy case (22.12.2004)
  Top officials in Security Police face charges in telephone surveillance case (23.11.2004)

Helsingin Sanomat