Head of Parliamentary committee wants tighter controls on Security Police

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The chairman of the Constitutional Law Committee of the Finnish Parliament, Kimmo Sasi (Nat. Coalition), has called for the establishment of a Parliamentary supervisory body for the Finnish Security Police (SUPO).
      Under the proposal, the five-member group would be given access to all SUPO materials. Sasi notes that Parliamentary and ministry supervision of the activities of the Security Police in Finland is "among the weakest in Europe, if not the weakest of all EU countries".
     
The mission of SUPO includes counter-espionage, fighting terrorism, threats to the internal security of the state, and organised crime. SUPO does not engage in foreign espionage.
      The core values of SUPO are legality, reliability, and quality. Sasi feels that recent events have eaten away at SUPO’s trustworthiness.
      "In connection with the Alpo Rusi case it has been asserted that citizens have not been treated equally. These are naturally only claims, but it would be good if some outsider could evaluate the activities of the Security Police."
      Confidence has also been shaken by the case in which a SUPO employee is suspected of having acquired telecommunications information illegally.
     
At present SUPO reports to the Parliament’s Constitutional Committee twice a year on questions related to internal security, and on external security to the Foreign Affairs Committee. Sasi describes this as a general presentation made over a cup of coffee.
      "We cannot speak of any real supervision. If we ask anything in greater detail, the Security Police will say that the issue is one that cannot be discussed any further", Sasi explains.
      He feels that the problem is that all supervision operates within a single ministry.
      In his view it would be appropriate to set up a new enforcement body within Parliament, a body that is chosen by the people, and which is outside the jurisdiction of the government.
      "The Constitutional Law Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee together could name five people enjoying widespread respect, who would be given the right to acquaint themselves with all SUPO material. They could then write an annual report, as well as special reports, if needed, and note whether or not the activities have been legal and appropriate", Kimmo Sasi suggests.
     
Sasi says that the group could include three Members of Parliament, and two legal experts from the Supreme Court. He also says that choosing the members should not involve any political intrigues, and that the focus should be on impassionate expertise.
      "After all, we do have former Ministers of the Interior and respected jurists in Parliament", he says.
      Sasi suggests that the SUPO supervisory body could be appointed for a Parliamentary term, and that it should have access to even the most confidential material of the Security Police.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Future of head of Security Police to be decided next week (31.8.2004)
  Security Police leadership suspected of concealing involvement in Sonera snooping (26.8.2004)
  Most damaging part of Stasi intelligence-gathering was flow of information to KGB (6.5.2004)
  Finnish Security Police seek new role (28.12.2003)
  Alpo Rusi: More than a year of silent torment over espionage allegations (16.9.2003)
  Alpo Rusi accuses Security Police of political conspiracy (16.9.2003)

Helsingin Sanomat