Criminal police investigate possible malfeasance by Matti Vanhanen

Matti Vanhanen

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The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Finland's central criminal police, is now focusing its enquiries on whether or not preliminary investigations could be launched into the alleged malfeasance or dereliction of duty by Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) in connection with the campaign contributions granted by the Finnish Slot Machine Association (RAY).
     
On Tuesday last week, the NBI, the Chancellor of Justice, and the staff of the Prosecutor General discussed the possibility to launch an investigation into the alleged malfeasance.
      According to the information gathered by Helsingin Sanomat, the participants in the meeting in practice rejected an alternative to conduct investigations into bribery by Vanhanen as a Member of Parliament.
     
The NBI is now collecting information concerning Vanhanen’s actions by looking into other preliminary investigations relating to Nuorisosäätiö, a nonprofit foundation which provides rental housing for young people. The foundation has close ties with the Centre Party.
      This is the valid procedure, as only the Constitutional Law Committee could make a decision on the launching of preliminary investigations against a Prime Minister over breach of duty. In practice, the NBI cannot for example hear or interrogate Vanhanen.
     
A suspicion of malfeasance or dereliction of duty could be based on the fact that Vanhanen as Prime Minister has decided on the distribution of RAY’s funds to Nuorisosäätiö, even though he himself has received campaign contributions from the same foundation.
      Moreover, Vanhanen cannot appeal to ignorance, as before he became a minister, Vanhanen was the Chairman of the Board of Nuorisosäätiö.
     
The police believe that Vanhanen has known or he should have known that according to the rules of the foundation, Nuorisosäätiö cannot grant contributions to political parties or candidates.
      The police note further that Vanhanen must also have known that Nuorisosäätiö has supported the Centre Party and the Centre candidates, like Vanhanen himself, in the Presidential elections.
      When RAY’s funds have been granted to Nuorisosäätiö by Vanhanen’s consent, he has simultaneously been the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Centre Party. In other words, he has been both the granter and the receiver of contributions at the same time.
     
Chancellor of Justice Jaakko Jonkka noted on Monday that so far he has not received any information about Vanhanen’s alleged malfeasance.
      ”If this were the case, a notification to the Constitutional Law Committee would already have been made”, Jonkka added.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Police suspect that Nuorisosäätiö bribed RAY´s Jukka Vihriälä (3.11.2009)
  Vanhanen and Kaikkonen silent about alleged misdemeanours at Nuorisosäätiö (1.10.2009)
  Vanhanen got campaign contributions from nonprofit housing foundation (21.9.2009)

Links:
  The Office of the Prosecutor General

Helsingin Sanomat