Kari Uoti demands dismissal of trial following ECHR ruling

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With a reference to a recent decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Finnish businessman Dr. Kari Uoti demanded on Tuesday that all charges against him in a trial on white-collar crimes at the Turku Court of Appeals must be dropped and the case dismissed.
      The ECHR released a judgment on Tuesday, January 9th, saying that the state of Finland has violated Dr. Uoti's human rights, relying on Article 6 § 1 (the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
     
According to the ECHR, the legal proceedings against Uoti at the Salo District Court, which began in 1994, took unreasonably long.
      The Court of Appeals did not take a stand on Uoti's demand, but stated that it will give its decision soon.
     
The trial in Turku is handling the same economic crimes of which Kari Uoti was already convicted last spring, when he was sentenced to six months in prison.
      According to the decision by ECHR, Uoti is also entitled to compensation for his sufferings. However, the amount of compensation remained open for the time being, as the trial is still continuing.
      However, the state of Finland has to compensate Dr. Uoti for his legal expenses already now, amounting to more than EUR 5,200.
     
Currently, another complaint by Kari Uoti is pending in the ECHR, as Uoti claims that the Helsinki Court of Appeals had effectively made a decision in 2001 on his being guilty of fraud already prior to the proceedings, as it had refused to hear an important witness of his.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Businessman Kari Uoti gets prison sentence after ten years of court hearing (22.3.2006)
  Kari Uoti pleads not guilty at money laundering trial (10.1.2006)

Links:
  European Court of Human Rights

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