Maritime executives’ cruise on Lake Saimaa is to lead to police investigation

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The City of Helsinki has asked police to investigate allegations that the Director-General of the Finnish Maritime Administration as well as certain other maritime office holders and employees have been renting a Nauticat 33 vessel at a peppercorn rate from Alfons Håkans Oy, the largest towage, rescue, and heavy transport company in Finland.
     
The Ministry of Transport and Communications has asked Markku Mylly, the Director-General of the Finnish Maritime Administration, as well as the Finnish State Pilotage Enterprise to deliver their reports on the boat rental by Tuesday.
      The Finnish Maritime Administration and the Port of Helsinki are customers of Alfons Håkans, buying services from the company. Following the allegations, the Harbour Board cancelled its decision from last Tuesday to order the icebreaking services for the Port of Helsinki for another three years from this company.
      The presenting official in the matter had been Assistant Harbour Master Kai Sarpaneva, whose role in the use of Alfons Håkans’s boat is to be investigated by the police at the request of the City of Helsinki. Sarpaneva is currently acting as a temporary Harbour Master.
      Helsingin Sanomat reported on Saturday that at least Mylly, Sarpaneva, and certain executives of the Finnish State Pilotage Enterprise have been using Alfons Håkans’s Nauticat 33 motorsailer Anneli for their private cruises on Lake Saimaa in Southeastern Finland.
      Mylly reported having paid rent for the use of the boat, though apparently well below the going rate for such a hire, while Sarpaneva said that he participated in the maintenance of the boat and paid for the fuel he used.
     
An internal audit on the matter was immediately launched at the Port of Helsinki on Wednesday, after the harbour leadership had got wind of the allegations.
      On Friday, the audit report was discussed with the leadership of the City of Helsinki, and on Monday, the capital’s Legal Services Division is to submit a request for inquiry to the police, reported Heikki Nissinen, the Managing Director of the Port of Helsinki.
     
For the time being, the audit report is regarded as confidential information. However, Nissinen implied that the essential parts of the matter were already reported by Helsingin Sanomat.
      Apart from Sarpaneva, no other members of the harbour personnel are known to have been using Håkans’s boat for their private cruises.
      Matti Pajula, the Managing Director of the Finnish State Pilotage Enterprise, stated that for their part the matter has been examined and a report will be delivered to the Ministry.
      Permanent Secretary Harri Pursiainen from the Ministry of Transport and Communications noted that it is always a serious matter when conflict-of-interest or other suspicions are thrown on a civil servant or a person who is pursuing a career in the public service.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Court of Appeal convicts Maritime Administration officials; prison sentences suspended (1.9.2003)

Links:
  Finnish Maritime Administration
  Finnish State Pilotage Enterprise

Helsingin Sanomat