Helsinki District Court has ruled that the online alcohol retailer Viinikauppa.com is not in violation of the law.
On Friday the court rejected charges of illegal professional delivery of alcoholic beverages that had been raised against the proprietors of the business.
The decisive factor in the view of the court was that the business itself did not deliver the beverages from Germany to Finland.
The customers made separate transport agreements with an Estonian delivery company. In addition, the buyers have paid for their beverages and the transport with separate invoices.
The court rendered its decision at 1:00 PM on Friday afternoon.
Two of the defendants were responsible for the Estonian company behind Viinikauppa.com, and the third was the key person behind the Estonian transport company which brought the drinks from Germany to the Finnish on-line customers.
State Prosecutor Anu Mattila and defence lawyer Petteri Snell, who represented two of the defendants, said before the trial that an acquittal would weaken the monopoly position of Finland’s state-run alcohol retailer Alko.
