Leena Haila has lost her post as the Director of the Maritime Museum of Finland in Kotka.
The Kymenlaakso District Court sentenced her to be dismissed after she had been found guilty of malfeasance. In addition, Haila was ordered to pay a EUR 600 fine.
According to the court, Haila commissioned a certain company to do some construction work, and this company in turn subcontracted the work out to another firm, the managing director of which Haila had been.
Even her husband’s company did some building work for the museum. The invoiced amount was EUR 50,000.
Haila denied having done anything for her own benefit. She claimed that the decision to use these companies was made in a situation when the completion of a museum exhibition threatened to be delayed.
The court pointed out in its decision that Haila acted contrary to her superior’s direct objections when she hired her husband to do construction work for the Maritime Museum.
The Maritime Museum opened at the Maritime Centre Vellamo in this traditional south coast port city in July 2008, having previously been housed in premises in Helsinki.
