Police report former Patria CEO is still under investigation

"His position has not changed"

Jorma Wiitakorpi

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The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) issued a press statement on Tuesday, saying that ”In order to clarify some of the information which has circulated in the public, the National Bureau of Investigation states that Jorma Wiitakorpi, the former President and CEO of the Patria Group was interviewed as a suspect in July and his position in the investigation has not changed since”.
      In an interview with Helsingin Sanomat on Monday, Wiitakorpi - who resigned from his post in order to clear the air around the defence equipment company, curently under investigation over possible bribery charges - had claimed that he is no longer suspected of any illegal activities.
      Moreover, in Patria’s press release on Monday Wiitakorpi had stated that ”Neither Patria’s internal investigation nor the investigations by the NBI have brought up any written or oral evidence that would connect me to the suspected criminal activities”.
     
”As far as we know, there is no evidence that would connect Wiitakorpi to the suspected criminal activities”, confirmed even the chairman of the Patria Board, Risto Virrankoski, at a high profile press conference on Monday.
      Wiitakorpi was not willing to return any calls concerning the matter on Tuesday.
     
On Monday, Patria also reported that the company will give the former CEO a severance settlement equivalent to one year’s salary.
      On Tuesday, Virrankoski said to the Finnish News Agency STT that the severance settement is subject to the outcome of the legal proceedings.
      ”If he is convicted, the severence settlement will not be paid”, said Virrankoski.
     
On Tuesday the Helsinki District Court continued the detention of a member of the management of Patria Vehicles Oy, who was taken into custody on July 10th. The other person previously held in detention in Finland was released upon the recommendation of the police.
      In cooperation with the authorities of Austria and Slovenia, the NBI is preparing interviews with one Austrian and one Slovenian businessman who were involved in the Patria deal. The Helsinki District Court has subjected the businessmen to pre-trial detention in absentia.
     
The state-owned defence equipment manufacturer is under suspicion of bribery arising out of artillery and vehicle deals made by two of Patria's former subsidiaries, Patria Vammas Oy and Patria Vehicles Oy, in Egypt and Slovenia.
     


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Patria CEO resigns amid ongoing NBI probes into bribery allegations (19.8.2008)
  Central Criminal Police arrest four Patria employees suspected of bribery (4.6.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat